


Pale Rain

by OliviaVeggieGurl



Series: Pale Apocalypse [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Apocalypse, Eating Disorders, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mild Language, Minor Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent, Molestation, Non-Sexual Slavery, Past Rape/Non-con, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sexual Slavery, Slavery, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2018-12-30 12:21:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 51
Words: 68,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12108606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliviaVeggieGurl/pseuds/OliviaVeggieGurl
Summary: Dick takes care of his brothers, Tim and Damian, during an apocalypse where the earth rains acid and there is no food except for the rich.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, another story, but it's Batman this time lol.

Dick Grayson sighed as he walked down the dirt road toward the town. He’d have to work extra hard today to earn some food and water for his brothers. They were completely out and had been for a couple days. Dick licked his dry lips as he thought about fresh water. He was extremely thirsty, but he had to perform under the hot sun for a few hours.

He sighed as he reached the small town. There were people trying to sell contaminated fruit and vegetables. Dick would eat those himself and save the money he earned for the safe produce that he would give to his growing brothers. They needed safe produce more than he did.

As he got in position to perform, he saw his regular customers head his way. They were mostly chubby middle aged rich men except for one. One man seemed to be around his age. He had green eyes and a white streak in his otherwise black hair. He was very muscular and obviously rich if his shiny metal armor indicated anything. He was one of Bruce Wayne’s soldiers, that much Dick was certain.

Dick smiled and waved at his regulars before he jumped to his hands, bending backwards into a bridge before posing in a handstand. Then, he did a backflip from his handstand and landed gracefully on his feet. He heard applause as he broke into a left leg split. He was already sweating from the heat and exertion, but he continued on for his brothers.

By the time the sun had set, most of his regulars had left, placing money in the brass helmet he left out. The only regular that had remained almost all day was the young soldier. Even some of the soldier’s buddies were there now, watching him complete his graceful moves for the day.

When he finished, Dick took a bow, listening as coins were thrown in the helmet. He could feel exhaustion creep in but he pushed it away as he gave the crowd a signature smile and grabbed the helmet. He headed to the rich produce first, using most of his earnings for that before buying some fresh water. Then he headed to the contaminated produce. He was about to buy some shriveled looking carrots when he felt a large hand on his shoulder. Dick let out a gasp turning to get in a fighting stance out of habit. He paused, however, when he saw that it was the young soldier.

“Are you really gonna buy those?” the man asked in disbelief, glancing down at the carrots in Dick’s hand.

Dick looked at the carrots too. They didn’t look appetizing at all but Dick was hungry enough not to care.

He looked up at the tall man defiantly. “So what if I am?” he asked. “Not many people have enough money to buy the good stuff.”

“But you’ve already bought some of the good stuff,” the man said in confusion. “That’s enough to last you a few weeks.”

“Not really,” Dick scoffed. “Not when I have other mouths to feed.”

“Other mouths?” the man chuckled. “Are you telling me you have kids?”

“Brothers,” Dick snapped. “What’s it to you?”

The man held out his hands in surrender. “Nothing,” he replied. “You’re skin and bones, is all. I thought you’d maybe want a real meal.”

“What do you want in return?” Dick narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Nothing,” the man admitted. “I just want you in tip top shape so you can keep performing. What you do, it’s beautiful.”

Dick blushed slightly at the compliment. “Oh, thanks,” he mumbled shyly.

The man smiled before holding out his hand. “Jason Todd,” he introduced.

“Dick Grayson,” Dick smiled, shaking the offered hand.

“Dick?” Jason chuckled. “What a name.”

“It’s short for Richard,” Dick scoffed.

“Ah okay,” Jason grinned. “Well, come on. I’ll buy you a real meal.”

Dick paused, glancing at the path that led to his home. If he went with the soldier, he’d be late getting home and his brothers would worry. He was famished, though, and a free meal sounded wonderful. Sighing, he turned back to Jason, who was watching him with an eyebrow raised.

“I can’t,” he said. “I need to be getting back.”

Jason stared at him in disbelief. “You’re turning down a free meal?” he asked. “Are you sure? I’ll even buy some meat.”

Dick’s mouth watered at the thought. He hadn’t had meat in about a decade, when he was really young. His stomach decided to growl in protest.

“How about I buy enough fresh cooked food for you and your brothers?” Jason offered, “And take it home with you? That way you can share with them and get home to them.”

Dick hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he could trust this guy. Sure, Jason was there to watch him every morning and paid the most out of all of his customers, but that didn’t mean much in this world. Also, Jason never touched him like the others did. He always kept his distance and would watch silently. Could he really trust this soldier enough to show him where his siblings lived?

“Listen, I understand that you’re wary,” Jason sighed. “I would be too if I were you. I see how those men look at you. I’ll bet you’ve had some bad experiences in the past and don’t trust anyone. Hear me when I say that you can trust me. I protect the wealthiest man in Gotham. I lay my life on the line for him. I’m not such a bad guy, I promise.”

Dick sighed in resignation. “Alright,” he finally agreed. “Lead the way.”

Jason grinned before turning and walking toward a pub. Dick knew it well for one of his old customers had brought him there once. He shuddered at the thought, pausing again as his chest tightened. Hearing the footsteps behind him stop, Jason paused too, turning to look at Dick with curiosity.

“You okay?” he asked.

Before Dick could reply, he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

“Richard,” his youngest brother snapped. “Where are you going with this man?”

Dick turned to see Damian glaring at Jason protectively. The sixteen year old was much taller than Dick himself and almost as muscular as Jason. Dick tried to reply but his throat seemed to be closing up. Damian’s face turned from protective to concerned in a second.

“Richard?” he asked before he turned to Jason with a red face. “What did you do to him?”

“I…nothing,” Jason defended. “I was just going to get him some food.”

Damian glanced at the paper bags in Dick’s arms. “Yeah right,” he scoffed. “Try again.”

“Damian,” Dick spoke up.

Damian turned back to Dick.

“He was,” Dick replied. “He was going to buy us meat, Damian, meat.”

Damian stared at him in shock before turning back to Jason.

“You can afford meat?” he asked.

Jason nodded. “I’m one of Bruce Wayne’s soldiers,” he said.

“And how do you know Richard?” Damian got defensive again, stepping in front of Dick protectively.

“I watch him perform every morning,” Jason admitted a bit bashfully, scratching the back of his head.

“I thought you stopped that,” Damian snapped at Dick. “Remember what happened last month? You don’t need to be overexerting yourself.”

“Damian,” Dick sighed. “It’s the only way I can earn money.”

“Let me worry about that,” Damian almost begged. “You’re possibly still weak.” He grabbed the bags out of Dick’s arms. “Come on, let’s go home. Timothy is worried.”

“I’ll still buy you guys some food,” Jason called out.

Damian gave Jason a glance. “That is not needed,” he dismissed. “Come Richard.”

Dick gave Jason an embarrassed smile before following after his brother. Jason heaved an annoyed sigh as he watched them go. An idea suddenly sparked in his head and he let out a grin before heading back to the pub. He’d find a way to give that beautiful performer some real food.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some brotherly fluff and bantering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments! I really appreciate it. I have this story all planned so I hope I'll be able to update it often.

“Dick,” Tim let out a relieved sigh as he saw Damian and Dick approach their hut. “I was so worried.”

Dick gave his brother a smile as Tim ran out to greet them. “I’m fine,” he chuckled, wrapping his arms around Tim’s slim form as Tim gave him a hug.

Tim pulled back with his nose wrinkled. “You’re all sweaty,” he said.

“That is because Richard was performing again,” Damian huffed, entering the hut and placing the groceries on the makeshift table.

“Dick, we told you not to do that anymore,” Tim sighed in exasperation.

“I’m the oldest,” Dick growled. “I’ll decide what I can and can’t do.”

“But you passed out last time,” Tim whispered. “Thank God Damian showed up when he did or those men would’ve harmed you.”

“Tim—”

“Please,” Tim pleaded, placing his hands on Dick’s shoulders and looking into his deep blue eyes. “Please just give yourself another couple of weeks. I can’t…I don’t want to lose you. I’m sure Damian feels the same.”

Damian huffed but nodded in agreement. “Give yourself more time,” Damian replied seriously.

Dick heaved a big sigh. “Fine,” he grumbled. “I earned enough money to buy us food for a week anyway.”

“You will not be eating that contaminated crap,” Damian growled as he picked up the shriveled carrots. “That’s what got you sick in the first place.”

“Dami—”

“I mean it Richard,” Damian snapped as he threw the carrots away.

“Hey, I paid for that,” Dick squawked in surprise.

“Waste of money,” Damian tutted.

“Eat some real food,” Tim added as he grabbed a beautiful red apple and tossed it to Dick.

Dick was about to reply when there was a knock on their door. Dick and Tim paused while Damian pulled out the sword he had strapped to his back.

“Stay put,” Damian snapped at them before he headed toward the door.

He pulled open the door with his sword raised, glancing around quickly. He lowered it when he spied some bags on the ground next to their door. Damian cocked his head to the side, looking in the bags before picking them up and bringing them inside.

“What is it?” Tim asked, interested.

“Food,” was Damian’s short reply.

“What kind of food?” Dick asked.

Damian pulled out a container, the smell of freshly cooked meat wafting through the hut.

“Meat,” was his answer. “It was probably that soldier.”

“What soldier?” Tim asked as Damian placed three different containers of meat on the table.

“One of my regulars,” Dick admitted. “I only learned his name today. He had offered to buy me real food, then Damian intervened.”

“I do not trust him,” Damian snapped. “Besides, you had looked distressed when I showed up.”

“Distressed?” Tim questioned, glancing at Dick with worry. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Dick sighed, raking a hand through his black hair. “He was leading me to a pub that I don’t like.”

“The same pub that—”

“Yes, Tim,” Dick sighed in annoyance. “The same damn pub.”

“Oh,” Tim sighed sympathetically. He headed over to Dick and wrapped his arms around him. “Maybe Damian was right to intervene. Besides, you were thirty minutes late and I was worried.”

Dick let out a sigh, returning the hug and kissing the top of Tim’s head. “Yeah, maybe,” he admitted.

“We shall have to move again,” Damian sighed. “That man cannot know where we live.”

“He could be harmless, Dami,” Dick mumbled into Tim’s hair.

“And he also could not,” Damian snapped. “Remember what happened the last time someone followed you home?”

Dick shuddered in response, causing Tim’s arms to tighten.

“Cut it out, Damian,” Tim snapped. “You’re upsetting him.”

“I am merely proving a point,” Damian replied.

Tim glanced at the food. “Should we eat that?” he asked timidly.

“No,” Damian replied.

“But it may not be poisoned,” Dick sighed, exhaustion creeping back up again.

“And it also may be,” Damian snapped. “We must not take that chance.”

“It sure smells good, though,” Tim sighed, taking in a whiff.

**Damian’s POV**

Damian let out a sigh of his own, deciding to inspect the food closer. Richard did need to eat after all and if the food was okay, Damian wouldn’t hesitate to give it to his older brother. He glanced over at Richard as Timothy helped him sit down on their old couch. He frowned as he noticed Richard’s pale demeanor. His eyes glanced over Richard’s face, seeing the gaunt look and dark circles under his eyes. Richard really did go out of his way to take care of Timothy and Damian. Damian wished Richard would allow them to take care of him in return.

He went back to inspecting the food, giving it a whiff and looking for anything abnormal. When he found nothing out of the ordinary, he heaved a sigh, thinking. The food didn’t appear to be poisoned and the soldier did seem sincere earlier.

Making up his mind, Damian turned to his brothers. “We shall eat the food,” he said. “I see no harm done to it.”

“Cool,” Timothy grinned. “I’ve never had meat before.

“It’s delicious,” Dick grinned, a nostalgic look crossing his face. “You guys will love it.”

“I shall set the table,” Damian replied as he decided to prepare some cooked vegetables to go along with the meat.

“Need some help?” Richard asked, making to get up.

“I can help him,” Timothy objected. “You rest, Dick.”

“Yes, rest,” Damian agreed. “We shall handle the food preparation.”

“Fine,” Richard sighed, settling back on the couch.

“Here, drink some water,” Timothy mumbled, throwing Richard a bottle. “If you were performing all day, I’m sure you’re thirsty.”

“Thanks,” Richard smiled warmly before downing half of the bottle.

Timothy shook his head before heading over to Damian. Damian looked at the meat in disgust.

“What’s wrong?” Timothy asked, apparently having seen the look.

“I do not wish to eat anything that once had a heartbeat,” Damian replied, nose wrinkling. “It’s disgusting to eat what animals have survived. The animals should get to live their lives like the rest of us.”

“I understand how you feel,” Timothy began, “But I want to know what it tastes like.”

“Fine, you and Richard may have all the meat then,” Damian huffed. “Lord knows Richard needs some meat on his bones anyway.”

“Hey!” Richard defended.

“It’s true,” Timothy nodded. “You look like a skeleton.”

“I do not understand why you will not allow us to take care of you,” Damian scowled. “You deserve it after taking care of us all these years.”

“Agreed,” Timothy said, turning to glance back at Richard. “You’ve done so much for us. Let us repay you, please.”

“What do you think I’m doing now?” Richard chuckled. “Normally I would be cooking.”

“Yes, and your food would not be edible,” Damian chuckled in return.

Timothy laughed too. “You are a terrible cook,” he agreed.

“Hey, I resent that!” Richard replied with a frown.

Timothy just laughed in reply before focusing back on the food he was cooking. Damian was silent as he sautéed the vegetables Richard had bought. He glanced over at Timothy and noticed he was boiling some potatoes.

“Are you making mashed potatoes?” Damian asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Every Thanksgiving it was tradition to eat mashed potatoes with meat,” Richard piped up from the couch.

“Yeah Damian,” Timothy said, sticking his tongue out at him.

“You are so juvenile,” Damian rolled his eyes.

“I’d rather be juvenile instead of senile,” was Timothy’s comeback.

Damian frowned. “I do not act senile,” he growled.

“Oh no,” Timothy replied sarcastically. “You only act like a middle-aged man.”

“Guys, don’t start,” Richard sighed.

Damian turned to look at him. Richard had an arm flung over his eyes and his head was resting against the back of the couch.

“You alright Richard?” Damian asked with concern.

“Yeah, it’s just been a long day,” Richard sighed.

“You weren’t supposed to be performing anyway,” Timothy snapped.

“Tim—”

“Dick, you know how I feel about you overexerting yourself, especially after you’ve been sick,” Timothy growled, turning from the stove to glare at Richard. “Now shut up and rest.”

Richard heaved a huge sigh but did as asked. All that could be heard was the crackling of the vegetables cooking in the skillet. After a few minutes had passed, and Damian and Timothy began to plate the food, they could both hear soft snores. They looked to the couch and saw Richard asleep, curled up in a little ball. Timothy and Damian shared a fond smile before placing the plates on their tiny table.

Their hut had one room; the sleeping area had a curtain hanging from the ceiling to give some privacy. The living area, dining area, and kitchen were all open. The sleeping area only had a king-sized mattress that they all shared. There was a bathtub in the sleeping area too, as well as a sink and toilet. Their hut did have running water but no electricity. The stove used wood and fire in order to work.

“Should we wake him?” Timothy whispered as they gazed at Richard’s sleeping form.

“I believe so,” Damian nodded. “He must eat.”

Timothy silently agreed before heading over to the couch. He bent down and seemed to stare at Richard for a bit before lightly shaking him. Richard mumbled a bit before opening his eyes sleepily.

“Time to eat,” Timothy smiled fondly before ruffling Richard’s dark locks.

“M’coming,” Richard mumbled as he weakly pushed Timothy’s hand away and stood.

He swayed on his feet a bit, causing Damian to rush to his side as Timothy steadied him.

“Dick, are you okay?” Timothy asked with concern lacing his voice.

“Yeah,” Richard nodded. “Just tired.”

“Let us go eat,” Damian sighed, following as Timothy helped Richard to the table.

“Yes, let’s,” Timothy agreed.

They sat down at the table and joined hands, saying grace before digging into their meal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a filler chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was sent home from work today due to being sick. Now, I have free time to write some more so yayyy lol.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy.

**Dick’s POV**

“Oh wow, the meat is so good!” Tim exclaimed before beginning to shovel it all into his mouth.

“Slow down, will you?” Damian scolded. “The way you eat is repulsing.”

“I told you it was delicious,” Dick grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

“I am repulsed that you would eat animal flesh,” Damian huffed.

“You know what people would call someone who didn’t eat meat?” Dick asked.

“No, what?” Damian was curious.

“Vegetarian,” Dick smiled. “So, I guess you’re vegetarian.”

Damian seemed to ponder what Dick had said before smiling slightly. “I believe I like the term,” he admitted.

A loud clap of thunder suddenly shook the hut, causing Tim to jump. He heaved a nervous sigh as he heard rain pelt their metal roof.

“It’s okay, Tim,” Dick assured, reaching over to rub his arm. “Our roof has kept us safe from many rain storms. It’ll hold.”

“Doesn’t make me any less nervous, though,” Tim mumbled as he glanced up at the roof.

Dick opened his mouth to reply but a yawn came out instead. He felt a large hand on his shoulder and looked over at Damian. Damian had a small smile on his face as he stared at Dick.

“I believe it is time for you to rest,” he said before getting up and taking both his and Dick’s empty plates.

“Don’t you guys need help cleaning up?” Dick questioned as he eyed all the dirty plates and pans.

“We have it handled,” Damian said. “Go lay down before I make you.”

Dick huffed out a laugh. “Alright alright,” he grinned, holding up his hands in surrender. “Let me know if you need me.”

“Go rest,” both Tim and Damian huffed.

“Fine,” Dick chuckled before he scraped back his chair and headed to their mattress.

As he laid down and listened to the rain, he pondered what Jason had done for his family. Jason had brought them food when they had a limited amount. Damian even said there was fresh water in the bags too. Dick’s heart fluttered slightly as he thought about the soldier. Jason was very attractive; he was muscular almost like Damian but a bit taller. His shaven face looked very soft and his black hair was shiny. His green eyes were what had captured Dick’s attention, though. They held some fierceness, but there was also a gentleness to them whenever they landed on Dick.

Dick found himself blushing as he remembered the way Jason had looked at him. It wasn’t similar to the way his other regulars had looked at him. There was no lust in his eyes or the will to touch him. There was interest and even protectiveness in his gaze.

Dick cracked an eye open as he heard the curtains shift. He could make out Tim’s slim form as the curtains closed again. Tim seemed to shift from foot to foot until another loud clap of thunder sounded. Then he rushed to the mattress and lifted Dick’s arm before snuggling up under it. Dick sighed contently, pulling Tim closer and letting him tuck his nose in Dick’s neck. He felt movement behind him and knew it was Damian, feeling a blanket being draped over himself and Tim. Damian’s hard form soon pressed up against Dick’s back and Dick leaned back a bit to let Damian know he was okay with it.

With the storm sounding outside, the three brothers settled down for a nap.

**Jason’s POV**

“Hey Jason,” a skinny red head grinned as Jason entered the soldier’s lounge room. “Where have you been?”

“He went to see his boyfriend,” a muscular dark-haired teen taunted from an armchair by the fireplace.

“Shut up,” Jason growled.

“Come on guys, give him some space,” another red head sighed, rolling his eyes. “You don’t want to spike his temper like last time.”

The skinny red head winced in remembrance.

“So, did you enjoy your day off?” the other red head asked with a slight smile.

“Yes Roy, I did,” Jason couldn’t help the happy smile that spread across his face. “I learned his name.”

“You did?” the skinny one piped up excitedly. “What is it?”

“Richard Grayson, but he goes by Dick,” Jason grinned.

“Richard Grayson?” a deep voice asked by the doorway.

The three soldiers turned to see Bruce Wayne leaning against the doorframe.

“That name sounds familiar,” Roy pondered.

“It should,” Bruce nodded. “He used to be part of the circus before the apocalypse.”

“Haley’s Circus?” the skinny teen gasped out.

“The very same, Wally,” Bruce nodded. “His parents were murder by that bastard Zucco.”

“He was part of the Flying Graysons, the trapeze stunt!” Wally gasped.

“They were very impressive,” the dark-haired soldier, Connor Kent, nodded. “At least, from what little I remember.”

“Hey guys,” a tall muscular man with black hair grinned as he stood beside Bruce. “What’re we talking about?”

“The Flying Graysons,” Wally piped up with a grin.

“Wow, I haven’t heard that name in ages,” the man, Clark Kent, said. “Why’re we talking about them?”

“It seems Jason has found the son, Richard,” Bruce informed. “He’s a street performer now.”

“You should see the way he moves,” Jason sighed dreamily. “It’s so graceful.”

“Ooh, Jason has a crush,” Wally chanted.

“I’d like to see him perform sometime,” Bruce admitted quietly. “I haven’t seen a Flying Grayson in action in about a decade.”

“Yeah, it would be quite a sight to behold,” Clark agreed.

“Invite him to our feast this weekend,” Bruce ordered. “Ask him if he would like to perform for us.”

“He has two brothers,” Jason informed. “One is very protective of him. He wouldn’t even let me buy them food.”

“Invite them too, then,” Bruce nodded. “I admire a man who is wise enough to be wary of strangers.”

“I will,” Jason agreed with a nod.

“Very good,” Bruce smiled. “Ask him what supplies he may need for his performance. Also, tell him I will pay him for his service.”

“Will do,” Jason smiled. “He definitely needs the extra cash. You should see him. He’s basically skin and bones.”

“He probably focuses on taking care of his brothers,” Roy piped up. “I know I would if I had any.”

“He does,” Jason nodded. “As far as I know, they’re both younger than he is.”

“I think I will also allow them to stay here for a night,” Bruce decided. “I’m curious how they interact with each other, especially the protective one.”

“He has the body of a soldier,” Jason admitted. “He’s almost as built as I am.”

“Okay, here’s what I want you to do,” Bruce said. “I want you to engage the protective one into a sword duel. I want to see his skills. If I am impressed, I may hire him as a soldier. I do need all the soldiers I can get.”

“What should you have me do?” Jason asked.

“If he is as protective as you say, maybe backhand one of the other brothers,” Bruce ordered.

“I don’t know if I can—”

“That’s an order,” Bruce snapped.

“Very well,” Jason sighed in resignation.

“Good, see to it by the end of the week,” Bruce demanded before he turned and left the room.

Jason frowned at Bruce’s retreating back.

Once Bruce was gone, Clark spoke up. “I’m sorry about him,” he sighed. “He’s been a bit on edge lately.”

“Anything we should be worrying about?” Connor asked his father.

“Not at the moment,” Clark admitted. “We will be having a meeting tomorrow after lunch so make sure you show up.”

The four soldiers nodded. Clark gave them a smile before leaving the room as well, probably to go after Bruce.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Tim have a heart to heart of sorts. Tim meets Jason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm still home sick so here's another chapter....yayyy! Hope you enjoy!

**Dick’s POV**

“I’m going into town today,” Dick huffed as he gathered a few belongings.

“Dick, please just stay here,” Tim begged. “You’re still not completely well.”

“I’ve been staying home all week,” Dick snapped. “I’ve done what you asked but I’m getting tired of just laying around. I need to do something.”

“Timothy, I believe he can go into town today,” Damian piped up from the stove. “But only if one of us goes with him and he doesn’t perform.”

“Oh my God,” Dick raised his hands up in exasperation. “Will you two stop being such worry warts? I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, that’s what you said last time,” Tim mumbled, glaring pointedly at the large bruise around Dick’s neck. “Thank God Damian seems to have a sixth sense about you being in danger.”

“I must go to the forest today to get some more wood for the stove,” Damian sighed. “Since I shall be busy, Timothy will go with you today.”

“Guys, stop it!” Dick suddenly shouted, pausing what he was doing to glare at his brothers. “Do you have any idea how overprotective you are being? I can’t stand it.”

“Well, until you are well enough to defend yourself, you will have an escort into town.” Damian snapped. “And that is final.”

“Ugh,” Dick growled, turning back to his task.

“We’re doing this because we care, Dick,” Tim whispered as he walked up to him. “We don’t want to lose you.”

Dick sighed in resignation, his shoulders drooping. He had always had a soft spot for Tim. “Fine,” he finally decided.

“Thank you,” Tim sighed with relief, giving Dick a quick hug.

“We’re leaving in five minutes,” Dick replied, returning the hug before heading to their bathroom to relieve himself.

Five minutes later, Dick and Tim were taking the long walk toward town. Dick was silent, which was unusual. Usually, Dick couldn’t stop talking, especially on their walk to town. He would tell Tim how trees used to look, how the pine needles used to be green as well as the grass. How the trees used to stand tall and give shade instead of how they were now, wilted and disformed from the rain.

“Dick, I’m sorry,” Tim finally spoke up. “Damian and I, we don’t mean to be overbearing. Usually you’re strong enough to get away from a slap to the face or dodge a grab, but since you’ve been sick, you’re too slow. I promise that once you’re back to being one hundred percent, we’ll back off, but until then…”

“I understand,” Dick sighed. “I’d act the same way toward one of you. So, I get it. I just get frustrated, is all.”

“Now you know how we feel,” Tim chuckled behind a hand.

“Yeah, I guess I do,” Dick grinned in return.

“So, why do you need to go to town?” Tim asked.

“Just to get out of the house,” Dick sighed. “You know I hate being cooped up.”

Tim nodded in acknowledgement.

“Plus, I like looking at the art supplies,” Dick admitted quietly. “I used to paint before the apocalypse. I wish I could take it back up again. I’d love to paint the green grass and trees so you and Damian can see what I’ve been talking about.”

“Maybe you’ll be able to someday,” Tim smiled up at him. “Who knows, maybe you’ll get lucky and that soldier will buy you some paint.”

Tim smirked and Dick blushed. “I doubt it,” was Dick’s reply. “But it’s a nice thought.”

As they reached the town, Dick immediately spotted a familiar form. His blush deepened as Tim let out a snort beside him.

“Speaking of which, there he is,” he laughed. “Let’s go say hi.”

“No, he looks busy,” Dick sounded mortified at the thought. “We should leave him be.”

“Damian was right, he is attractive,” Tim giggled. “You don’t want to introduce me?”

“No,” Dick gasped, grabbing Tim’s arm and dragging him away.

 

**Jason’s POV**

“Hey Dick,” Jason called, a lazy smile reaching his face. He walked away from the food he had been eyeing. “Haven’t seen you around here lately. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Dick squeaked in embarrassment.

“That protective brother of yours keeping you under house and key?” Jason chuckled.

“Both of them, actually,” Dick glared down at the teen with him, who was smothering his laugh.

“So, is this the other one?” Jason asked, gesturing to the teen.

Dick heaved a big sigh. “Yes, this is Tim,” he introduced.

“Hey Tim,” Jason grinned, offering his hand. “I’m Jason Todd.”

“Timothy Drake,” Tim said, shaking the offered hand.

“Drake?” Jason questioned. “You two have different last names?”

“We’re not related,” Tim supplied. “Dick took me in just after the apocalypse, Damian a couple years later.”

“Really?” Jason seemed impressed. “How old were you guys?”

“Dick was ten when he took me in,” Tim answered. “And I was six at the time. Two years later, we found Damian. He was six then.”

Jason stared at Dick in awe. This man had only been ten and twelve when he took two abandoned children under his wing. To say he was impressed would be an understatement. Shaking out of his stupor, Jason remembered Bruce’s request. He cleared his throat and gave the two brothers a smile.

“Apparently Dick here has piqued the interest of Bruce Wayne,” Jason said. “He has invited the three of you to his dinner party on Sunday. He was also wondering if you would perform for us, Dick. He even said he’d pay you.”

“Really?” Dick’s jaw dropped in shock.

“Dick…” Tim trailed off.

“Tim, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Dick pleaded. “We need the money. Come on, please?”

Tim sighed before nodding. “Fine,” he finally agreed. “You should be back to your full strength by then anyway.”

“Full strength?” Jason questioned, glancing in between the two. “What do you mean?”

“Dick got sick from eating that contaminated shit he’s always buying for himself,” Tim shook his head in disdain.

“Well it’s cheaper than the good stuff,” Dick defended.

“You can eat what you buy us,” Tim replied. “You get enough to at least last us a week.”

“But you guys need it more,” Dick argued. “You’re both still growing.”

Tim rolled his eyes before glancing at Jason. “You see what we have to deal with?” he sighed.

“So…are you guys gonna come or not?” Jason asked with his head cocked.

“We’ll go,” Tim nodded.

“Yes!” Dick cheered. “This is gonna be awesome!”

“Do you need any equipment to perform?” Jason asked. “Bruce remembers you from your Flying Grayson days. He’d love to see you on a trapeze.”

“Well, I guess I’ll be needing a trapeze then,” Dick grinned.

“Cool,” Jason smiled. “Anything else?”

“Nope, that should do it,” Dick said.

“Okay, I’ll let Bruce know,” Jason grinned. “You’re expected to be there at four so Bruce can talk to you about a few things.”

“Okay, we’ll be there,” Dick said excitedly. “Tell Mr. Wayne we said thank you.”

“Will do,” Jason said. “See you then.”

Dick waved as Jason turned to leave. Once Jason was far enough away, Dick let out an excited squeal.

“Can you believe this?” he asked Tim, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“It is pretty exciting,” Tim agreed.

“Let’s go tell Damian,” Dick exclaimed, grabbing Tim’s hand and bounding back down the dirt road toward their home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys meet Bruce for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I tried to go to work but was sent home again lol. But that means a new chapter so yayyyy

**Damian’s POV**

Richard was getting ready for the dinner party the three of them had been invited to. Timothy and Damian were already dressed in their best clothes, which weren’t very impressive. It was all they owned, though, so it would have to do.

Damian turned as he heard the curtains shift. He heard Timothy let out a gasp as Richard came into view. He was dressed in a skin-tight leotard that was red and green. It had a yellow R on the left breast.

“What does the R stand for?” Timothy asked.

Richard stared at the floor bashfully. “It stands for Robin,” he answered. “My mom used to call me her little robin.”

“Like the bird?” Damian asked with curiosity.

“Yeah, exactly,” Richard nodded.

“I can’t believe that still fits from your Flying Grayson days,” Timothy said in awe.

“Oh, it didn’t,” Richard chuckled. “I had to add extra fabric.”

“You cannot tell,” Damian supplied.

“Good,” Richard grinned. “Now, let’s go.”

The walk to Wayne manor was a long one. It took about an hour to get to the long-paved driveway. All three boys were slightly sweaty from the walk but none of the guests seemed to care. There was already a line at the front doors, even though the dinner didn’t start until five.

The three boys headed to the left side of the manor, where Jason had said for them to enter. An elderly butler with a receding hairline and gray mustache was at the side door, seeming to be waiting for them.

The butler gave Richard a glance before opening the door. “You must be Master Richard,” his British accent spoke. “Please do come in.”

“Oh, I’m not a master,” Richard chuckled as Damian and Timothy followed him inside.

“Of course not, Young Sir,” the butler replied. “It is merely how I address people.”

“Oh okay,” Richard nodded. “So, what is your name? You know ours.”

“I am Alfred Pennyworth, butler and caretaker of Master Bruce,” the butler said.

“Thank you for showing us around, Mr. Pennyworth,” Damian replied politely.

“You three may call me Alfred,” Alfred smiled. “Master Bruce is expecting you through here.”

Alfred led them through a brown wooden door. The room was rather spacious. There was a large wooden desk on the other side of the room where a window was. There was a whole wall of books to the left and a fireplace to the right. There were two armchairs facing the large desk and Bruce Wayne himself sat at the desk, looking over some papers. He glanced up when he heard the butler enter.

“Your entertainment has arrived, Sir,” Alfred said, stepping aside so the three males could enter. “You may have a seat.”

Damian pushed Timothy and Richard forward, silently telling them that he would stand. Timothy and Richard glanced around the room as they sat down in the two chairs. Damian stood in between them, eyeing Bruce warily. He had never seen Bruce in person but he instantly felt his protectiveness take over at the sight of him. He was a large man, both tall and muscular. Bruce could easily overtake both Timothy and Richard if he had wanted, and that thought put Damian on edge.

“Hello,” Bruce spoke, placing his pen down and smiling at the three boys. “I’m Bruce Wayne. I know you are Richard Grayson, but who are these two young men?”

“These are my brothers, Tim and Damian,” Richard spoke softly, seeming to be intimidated by the man.

Damian placed a hand on Richard’s shoulder. “What will you be having him do?” he asked sharply.

“I just want him to perform for about an hour while my guests eat dinner,” Bruce replied, a smirk of amusement on his face. “I have three trapezes hooked to the ceiling where he will be performing. I would also like the three of you to stay for the night. I have a room prepared on the left wing. I won’t take no for an answer. Alfred will show you to your room and then Richard will perform. You two may sit at the table and eat with the guests if you like, and Richard may eat once he is finished.”

“Dick,” Richard supplied. “You can call me Dick. I prefer that over Richard. Only Damian can call me that.”

“Very well,” Bruce gave the young man a kind smile. “Dick, it is. Alfred?”

“Come,” Alfred said from the doorway. “I will show you to your room.”

Damian didn’t move until his brothers were ahead of him, then he pressed closely to them, keeping an eye behind him in case Bruce tried anything. Bruce, however, went back to the papers he had been looking at earlier.

Alfred led them to a staircase, which they climbed before turning to the left and going down a long hallway. There were a few doorways on the hall, which Damian glanced at when they passed them. Each doorway led to a bedroom. Damian rolled his eyes. Just how wealthy was this man?

“Here we are,” Alfred finally spoke, pausing at a door near the end of the hall. “This will be the room you three will share. You may place your belongings in here then we will go to the dining hall.”

Timothy and Richard placed their small battered bags on one of the two beds in the room. Damian placed his bag on the second one. The beds were rather small which meant Damian needed a bed to himself. He was too big to share with one of his brothers. Richard and Timothy were so lean that they could easily share a bed.

“Come along Sirs,” Alfred ushered once Damian had placed his bag down. “Master Bruce and his guests are waiting.”

Timothy turned to follow Alfred and Richard was about to do the same until Damian laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you sure you are willing to do this?” Damian asked softly. “I know the trapeze leaves unhappy memories behind. If you wish to leave, I shall make it happen.”

“Thanks Dami,” Dick smiled warmly, “But I think I can do this. I miss hearing a crowd cheer as I did tricks. Performing on the street isn’t the same. I’ll be okay, but if I do get overwhelmed I’ll let you know.”

“If you raise both pinky fingers in the air, I will come,” Damian whispered before giving Richard a peck on the forehead.

“Guys?” Timothy called as he came back into the room. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Richard cleared his throat. “We’re fine. Let’s go.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dinner party and afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the chapter you have all been waiting for! Enjoy!

**Damian’s POV**

Alfred led Timothy and Damian to two places at the table, Timothy’s place being right next to Bruce. Damian bristled and pulled Timothy back before he could sit down. He guided Timothy to the place Alfred had ushered him and took Timothy’s place next to Bruce. There was a flash of amusement across Bruce’s face before it vanished.

Bruce suddenly stood, causing all of the talking at the table to cease. “Welcome everyone,” he began. “I have a special treat for you tonight. I’m pleased to introduce Richard Grayson of the Flying Graysons.”

Gasps and excited murmured echoed around the large rectangular table as everyone turned their attention to one of the trapezes. Richard was there, giving everyone a smile and wave before jumping and grabbing the trapeze.

Damian watched in amazement as Richard flipped and spun in the air. There were some instances where he thought Richard would fall, but he soon realized Richard was doing that for show. Damian could hear Timothy beside him gasping in awe every time Richard flipped from one trapeze to the next. He chanced a glance at Bruce and noticed a gleam in his eye that had Damian bristling. Since he couldn’t protect Richard from up in the air, he wrapped a hand around Timothy’s wrist and squeezed. He saw Timothy stare at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Everything okay?” Timothy asked with concern.

“Let’s just say I am looking forward to this being over,” Damian bit out through clenched teeth.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Richard landed on the dinner table and bowed. Everyone in the room applauded, standing and cheering at his performance. Damian stiffened as Bruce also stood and applauded beside him. Damian couldn’t wait to wrap a protective arm around Richard’s shoulder as he got off the table and sat between Timothy and Damian, Timothy moving from his own seat and sitting in the free one to his right. Damian assumed Timothy had seen the way Bruce was looking at Richard too.

“Wow Dick, I didn’t know you could do all of that,” Timothy exclaimed. “That was amazing!”

“It was rather impressive,” Damian agreed with a nod. “Let us eat quickly and retire.”

“Everything okay, Dami?” Richard asked around a mouthful of beef.

“I just have a bad feeling,” was Damian’s curt reply.

Richard let out a small sigh but went back to his meal. As the three of them were finishing their food, the guests began to leave. Damian eventually stood once he saw that Timothy and Richard were finished. He wrapped a large arm around each brother before quickly guiding them toward the exit. Suddenly, Richard was pulled harshly out of Damian’s grasp. Damian and Timothy both spun around quickly to see Bruce holding Richard against his chest. He was whispering something in Richard’s ear as Richard began to panic at the close contact.

“Let him go,” Damian demanded before he pushed Timothy behind him.

“Dami, don’t—”

Richard let out a surprised squeal as one of Bruce’s large hands covered his mouth. Damian could see Richard’s chest rising and falling at a rapid rate. His pupils were blown wide with fear. The look of fear in Richard’s eyes was what finally drew Damian into pulling out a collapsible sword he had hidden in one of his sleeves. Richard was shaking his head before Bruce gripped his jaw.

“Shh,” Bruce mumbled to him. “Remember what I said.”

“Let him go,” Damian growled again, raising his sword.

“No,” was Bruce’s reply.

Damian let out an angry growl before he lunged forward, sword raised. As he ran toward Bruce, there was a flash of light before a sword appeared and swung against his own. Damian paused and turned to see that soldier from a week ago.

“What are you doing?” Damian snapped.

“My job,” Jason replied before raising his sword again.

“Damian, stop,” Timothy cried. “Can’t you see—”

“Shut up Timothy,” Damian snapped before he swung his sword.

Metal hit metal with a loud clang, Damian struggling to push Jason back with his strength. It seemed, however, that the two were evenly matched. They clashed for about a minute before each pulled back. There was a gash on Jason’s cheek and one on Damian’s left eyebrow.

“Not bad,” Jason panted. “You self-taught?”

“Yes,” Damian bit out. “Give me my brother and we shall end this.”

Jason glanced back at Bruce who shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Jason said before he got in a fighting stance again.

Before Damian could start fighting again, there was the sound of a cry as a loud smack was heard. The sound echoed in the large room, causing everyone to pause. Timothy had tried to creep behind Bruce to get Richard, but Bruce had seen him coming. Bruce had backhanded Timothy across the face while still keeping hold of Richard. Richard was limp in Bruce’s arms at this point, his eyelids seeming to struggle to stay open.

Damian let out a roar of rage, slashing Jason’s left shoulder before lunging at Bruce. Before Damian could even reach the horrid man, two sets of arms circled his and pulled him back. Damian struggled and growled in the hold, glancing around to see two other soldiers holding him back.

“Enough,” Bruce’s stern voice sounded.

He picked Richard up and placed him in the armchair that was at the corner of the room. Timothy had gotten up off of the ground and immediately ran to Richard’s side. Bruce slowly approached Damian, who was still wild with rage.

“I need you to calm down,” Bruce spoke calmly, but his voice was also stern.

“Calm down?” Damian snapped incredulously. “Are you insane? You just touched my brothers.”

“Yes, I did,” Bruce was still calm, “But only to see what you were capable of.”

“What?” Damian bit out. “You are insane! How dare you lay your abnormally large filthy hands on my brothers! I will kill you! I will fucking kill you!”

Damian renewed his struggles as the two raven haired soldiers holding him kept their grip.

“You need to learn how to calm yourself,” Bruce began, “And not let your emotions control your action. I think, if you learn to do this, you will make a great soldier.”

“A…what?” Damian paused.

“You heard me,” Bruce replied. “I would like you to be one of my soldiers.”

“And if I refuse?” Damian asked.

“That’s your choice,” Bruce shrugged. “If you did become one of my soldiers, however, I would let you and your brothers live here. You would all be treated like royalty under my roof. There will be fresh food at every meal, fresh clean water, as well as a shower. There is even a gym here for you to train. I will even place some rings and trapezes in the gym specifically for Richard.”

Damian had since calmed enough for the two soldiers to let him go warily. He stood to his tallest height, trying to appear intimidating.

“May I think about it?” he asked.

“Of course,” Bruce nodded. “I’ll give you until next Sunday to make your decision.”

“Very well,” Damian agreed.

He stepped forward cautiously, curious if anyone would stop him. When no one did, Damian moved to his brothers, ignoring Jason clutching his bleeding shoulder. He rushed to their side, seeing Richard’s breathing slowing with Timothy’s calm voice whispering in his ear. When Richard reached a hand to Timothy’s hurt cheek, Damian lightly gripped Timothy’s jaw and turned his face so he could take a look. He cursed at seeing the red mark on Timothy’s cheekbone, a small cut where Bruce’s ring had caught on the skin. Timothy shook his face out of Damian’s grasp.

“It’s fine,” he mumbled.

“You needed me, Master Bruce?” Alfred had silently materialized into the room.

“Take the boys to their room and give them anything they request,” Bruce mumbled before he turned and left the room.

“Come Young Sirs,” Alfred’s voice was smooth as he turned to leave.

Timothy stood, getting out of Damian’s way so he could pick up Richard. Damian did and together they followed Alfred to the room he had shown them earlier. When they arrived, Damian asked for some ice for Timothy’s cheek and three glasses of water. Alfred bowed slightly before heading back down the hall. Richard had fallen asleep in Damian’s arms, the warmth and familiarity easing him into a deep sleep. Damian pulled back the covers of the bed and gently placed Richard on it before tucking the covers up to Richard’s chin. While Timothy was focused on rummaging through his bag, Damian gave Richard a quick peck on his cheek, caressing the smooth skin before turning his attention to Timothy.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, turning Timothy toward him and inspecting his cheek.

“I’m fine,” Timothy mumbled, allowing Damian to turn his head slightly to get a better look. “I’ve had worse.”

“By whom?” Damian questioned.

Timothy paused before letting out a sad sigh. “My parents,” he whispered.

Damian blinked in surprise before gazing into Timothy’s blue eyes. They were so similar to Richard’s that Damian was still surprised they weren’t related somehow.

“Your parents would beat you?” he asked softly, finally letting go of Timothy’s chin and guiding him to his bed. “Does Richard know?”

“Yeah, he knows,” Timothy sighed, sitting down on Damian’s bed. “He’s the one who found me after my parents abandoned me.”

There was a knock on the doorframe as Alfred entered with a tray. “Your ice and water,” he said.

“Thank you, Alfred,” Timothy smiled softly as the butler placed the tray on Damian’s bed.

“Make sure you use that ice,” Alfred instructed. “If you don’t, your cheek will be swollen by morning.”

“And whose fault is that?” Damian couldn’t help but bite out.

“I do apologize for Master Bruce’s behavior this evening,” Alfred sighed. “He can get a bit carried away when he wants something. His tests can be a bit cruel at times. He means well, though.”

“If you say so,” Damian rolled his eyes.

“I will leave you boys for the night,” Alfred said before he left, closing their door behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Tim/Damian fluff. Tim tells Damian about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank you guys for all the kudos and comments! I've written up to chapter 14 so far and plan on continuing. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Tim took a sip of water before reaching for the rag that had ice wrapped in it. Damian grabbed his wrist to stop him before reaching for the ice himself. He gently turned Timothy’s face toward him and carefully placed the ice against Tim’s now purple cheek. Tim hissed a bit in pain before relaxing as the numbness began to take effect. They were silent for a while, listening to Dick’s even snores across the room.

Finally, Damian spoke. “How did Richard find you?” he asked, pausing a bit before continuing. “You do not have to talk about it if you do not wish to.”

Tim heaved a sigh, thinking, before staring into Damian’s green eyes. He was surprised when he saw a gentleness there instead of the scrutinized gaze he was expecting.

Finally deciding, Tim spoke. “I guess you’re old enough now to hear the story,” he said. “Both of my parents were abusive but in different ways. My dad did physical abuse while my mom did emotional.”

Tim took a deep grounding breath before continuing. “That day, the day when the apocalypse started, my parents were arguing in the dining room. They were filthy rich, almost like Bruce Wayne. They were arguing about some charity thing they were invited to. I was passing by when the ground began to shake. My dad instantly grabbed me and slapped me across the face, telling me it was my fault that an earthquake was forming. My mom instantly agreed, going on and on about how I ruined everything I touched including the very floor I had been walking on.

“The earthquake stopped momentarily but my parents didn’t. My dad eventually flung me to the ground as the earth started shaking again. He beat me and beat me until I heard a horrible crack. Both of my parents looked up in time for the roof to cave in. I had somehow managed to duck under the table while my parents got the full force of it. I heard them screaming for a few hours before they both silenced. I tried to get out but all of the rubble was blocking me in. I don’t know how long I had called for help before Dick found me. At first, he thought the bruises were from the rubble. He somehow managed to dig me out and got a better look at my face. I guess there was a handprint on my face or something because his eyes got that really sad look to them. He gave me a hug and promised he would take care of me.”

Tim breathed deeply after finishing the story, surprised when that breath hitched. He blinked and felt a warm wetness slide down his cheeks. He flinched slightly as a thumb brushed them away. Tim blinked through his tears until he could see Damian’s face swimming back into view. There was pity and anger in his fierce green eyes.

“I’m glad they are dead,” Damian finally spoke, his voice hard. “If they were not, I would have killed them myself.”

“That wouldn’t have solved anything Damian,” Tim sighed, gently pushing his hands away. “The damage had been done.”

“Is that why you jump at loud noises?” Damian asked softly. “Because of your parents yelling at you?”

Tim nodded, closing his eyes.

“I must admit that I am impressed,” Damian said, leaning back. “After what you had told me, I thought you would be jumping every time someone got near you like Richard does.”

Tim shrugged. “Dick worked on me,” he admitted. “He helped me heal before we found you.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Damian surprised Tim with a laugh. “He is very affectionate.”

“That he is,” Tim agreed, glancing over at Dick’s sleeping form with a small smile. “How did we get so lucky?”

“I ask myself that every day,” Damian admitted with a smile of his own.

Tim suddenly let out a yawn. Damian’s smile softened and he stood before helping Tim to his feet.

“Time for bed,” he whispered, reaching over and handing Tim his things. “I shall be back.”

Damian left for the bathroom that was attached to their room. While Damian was gone, Tim quickly changed into his pajamas and slid in bed next to Dick. Dick turned in his sleep and wrapped an arm around Tim’s small form. Tim heaved a content sigh as Dick’s body heat warmed him up. The weather was getting colder which meant snow was soon to come.

Tim opened his eyes slightly as he heard the bathroom door open. Damian padded over to his bed and climbed in it, turning off the bedside lamp.

“Goodnight Timothy,” Damian called softly.

“Goodnight Damian,” Tim yawned. “You should really consider Bruce’s offer. This bed is really comfy.”

Damian huffed out a tired laugh. “We shall see,” he replied.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something bad happens and Jason comes to the rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, so I had a dream about Alfred, a young Bruce, and a couple Robins going back in time. That's when you know you're in too deep lol.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy.
> 
> WARNING! May be some triggers in this chapter....

**Dick’s POV**

It had been three days after the dinner party and Dick was anxious to go into town. He and Tim both had been cooped up in the hut for the past three days due to Damian’s insistence. He had asked Tim to go with him but Tim wanted to go to the forest to help Damian get more firewood. Dick was secretly thankful that his brothers were giving him more breathing room. He couldn’t help but skip down the dirt road.

As he neared the town, he could hear a commotion going on down on of the alleys. Curious, Dick poked his head around the corner. There were three large men cornering an elderly lady. They appeared to have been trying to take her bag of groceries. Dick felt a knot grow in his stomach and he couldn’t help but step out into view.

“Hey,” he called angrily.

The three men turned to him and laughed.

“Get lost, puny,” one of them chuckled before all three turned back to the lady.

Dick grabbed a few stones that were on the ground and swiftly threw them at the men, each one hitting its target.

“Leave her alone,” Dick commanded.

He shrunk a bit at the three men’s heated gazes. The third man let the woman go and she quickly left the alley, whispering a thank you to Dick as she passed him. Dick turned back to the men, only to be slammed hard into one of the metal walls. Dick coughed slightly as the wind was knocked out of him.

“What should we do to him?” the second man asked with an evil grin.

“I don’t know,” the first man giggled. “He’s awfully pretty.”

“Yes, he is, isn’t he?” the second man grinned, running a large cold hand under Dick’s sweater.

“No, d-don’t,” Dick pleaded weakly, pushing against the man’s chest.

He let out a grunt as he was kneed in the balls. Dick sucked in air through his clenched teeth as the men laughed.

“Such pretty skin,” the second man mumbled as he stroked Dick’s stomach. “It’s so soft too.”

“Are you sure you’re a man?” the third chuckled. “You look more feminine to me.”

“Well, he obviously is a man judging by his reaction,” the second chuckled as Dick doubled over in pain.

A punch to the gut was next, followed by a swing at his face. The blows continued until Dick stopped squirming, too exhausted to fight back. He felt a hand go down his pants as his sweater was pushed up to his armpits.

“He is such a beauty,” one of the men cooed.

Dick held his breath, waiting for his pants to be ripped off. Before that could happen, though, the hand down his pants was suddenly ripped away. Dick cracked open a swollen eye, flinching as he felt a raindrop hit his skin. The acid burned and he groaned.

“Back off ugly,” a familiar voice growled.

Some scuffling was heard before a scream pierced the air. Dick could smell blood as he heard the other two men pleading for their lives. More screams and thuds sounded. At this point, the rain was pelting down and Dick swore it was melting his skin. Suddenly, he felt the rain cease on his body. He pried an eye open again and saw that there was a metal umbrella over him. He glanced at the man who had saved him.

“Jason,” he slurred.

“Shh, be quiet,” Jason murmured as he tried to wipe the acid off of Dick’s red skin with a blanket. “Save your energy.”

“What’re you wearing?” Dick asked as he squinted at Jason’s covered face.

Jason had the usual body armor of a soldier but his head was covered in a red helmet. It was all made of metal and protecting him from the acid raining down.

“It’s protecting me from the acid,” Jason explained, just as Dick had guessed. “I have an extra one for you too.”

“And you just carry spare helmets and blankets around with you everywhere?” Dick asked incredulously.

“Of course not,” Jason scoffed. “I was getting supplies for the other soldiers when it started raining. Then I heard those men laughing and decided to investigate. Good thing I did, too.”

“Thank you,” Dick mumbled, closing his eyes again.

A sharp smack to the cheek made his eyes pry open again.

“Try to stay awake for me,” Jason said, wrapping a clean blanket around Dick. “I need you to stay conscious until we reach the manor.”

“What’s at the manor?” Dick asked weakly.

“A medic,” Jason replied

Dick hummed in reply before his eyes closed again.

“Dick,” Jason’s sharp voice filled the fog in Dick’s mind.

Dick struggled to open his eyes again, but found that they were just too heavy at the moment.

“Still here,” he replied. “Just can’t open my eyes.”

He winced as he felt a gentle prodding near his eyes.

“Looks like your nose could be broken,” Jason mumbled mostly to himself. “Could be why both of your eyes are swelling shut.”

“Perfect,” Dick sighed in annoyance. “Just what I needed, my brothers to be even more overprotective.”

“Hey, at least they love you,” Jason chuckled.

Dick groaned as Jason picked him up.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I’m trying to carry you and hold the umbrella over you. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”

“S’okay,” Dick mumbled. “My brothers.”

“I’ll go get them once the rain stops,” Jason said. “We don’t have any extra gear for them to wear.”

Dick hummed again in acknowledgement. He could feel himself drifting when Jason jostled him. He groaned in pain.

“Stay awake,” Jason demanded. “You could have a concussion.”

“Tired,” Dick replied sleepily.

“Think about your brothers,” Jason said softly. “What would happen to them if you slipped into a coma?”

Dick sighed gently. “Fine, I’m awake,” he grumbled.

“Atta boy,” Jason praised.

Dick scoffed in response, listening as the rain hit the umbrella. It felt like hours before he felt Jason walk up a few stairs.

“Oh my God, what happened?” a frantic voice exclaimed.

“Go get Alfred, and hurry,” Jason’s voice was crisp.

“Yeah, okay,” the voice said.

“We’ll get you all fixed up,” Dick assumed Jason was talking to him now.

“M’kay,” Dick replied.

“Jason, what happened?” Dick flinched as he recognized Bruce’s voice.

“Some thugs happened,” Jason growled. “But I took care of it.”

“Good job,” Bruce sounded proud. “Take him to the infirmary. Alfred and I will be there shortly.”

“Okay,” Jason said.

Dick felt Jason begin to walk again. He struggled to stay awake but the pain that he was in was pushing him into darkness. He could barely hear Jason trying to talk to him before he succumbed to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Tim find out what happened to Dick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Real life got busy and I haven't been able to write in over a week. We'll see how things go for the next chapter.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Damian’s POV**

It was nearly dark and Richard still hadn’t returned from town. Damian was beyond worried, pacing back and forth as he listened to the rain outside. Thank goodness Timothy had seen the clouds before they got too deep into the woods. They had managed to make it back just as the first raindrop fell out of the sky.

“Damian, I’m sure he’s okay,” Timothy tried to reassure.

Damian was a bit surprised that Timothy was trying to reassure him when he could hear the tremors in his voice. He turned to look at Timothy’s face. Seeing how pale it was, he rushed forward and knelt down by the couch to look closer.

“Timothy, are you alright?” he asked with concern.

“I’m just worried,” Timothy replied brokenly, taking a swipe at his dripping nose.

“Maybe you are right,” Damian encouraged as he sat down next to Timothy. “He is probably well. He could just be in a shop seeking shelter until the rain stops.”

“Or he could be lying in a ditch somewhere, dead,” Timothy finally started crying, his small shoulders shaking with the effort of trying to hold it in.

Damian sighed sadly, watching Timothy cry. He wasn’t really sure what to do. Usually it was Richard who comforted Timothy when he was upset. Thinking about what Richard would’ve done in this situation, Damian found himself wrapping a strong arm around Timothy’s shaking shoulders and pulling him closer to his side. Timothy welcomed the comforting contact, turning and curling into Damian’s body heat. Damian rubbed Timothy’s left shoulder comfortingly as Timothy continued to cry.

“I don’t know what I’d do if he’s dead,” Timothy wailed. “He’s my rock. I can’t function without him.”

“It is alright Timothy,” Damian soothed, surprising himself at his own gentleness. “I believe Richard is well. Remember how you said I have a sixth sense about his safety?”

Timothy nodded into Damian’s chest.

“Well, I do not feel like he is dead,” Damian admitted. “I feel as if he is still alive.”

“Really?” Timothy scrubbed his face before staring into Damian’s eyes.

He looked and sounded so hopeful that Damian’s heart broke. How was he to tell him that he knew Richard was in danger? Yes, he knew Richard was alive, but he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he recognized well. He decided to hold his tongue, nodding at Timothy’s question.

“Yes, I believe so,” he nodded.

Timothy took a deep, shuddery breath before letting it out slowly. He copied the breath a few more times until the tears ceased. He wiped at his eyes before looking back up at Damian’s face, smiling slightly.

“Thanks,” he sighed. “I’m sorry I turned into a baby.”

“It is quite alright,” Damian admitted. “Sometimes it is good to let emotions out.”

Tim nodded in agreement before he jumped to his feet. “The rain stopped,” he exclaimed, opening the door to glance outside. “But Dick isn’t back yet.”

Damian stood and began to pace again. Timothy shut the door before turning back to him.

“You’re hiding something from me,” he said, suspicious. “What is it?”

Just as Damian was about to reply, there was an urgent knock on their door. Timothy ran to it and threw it open, his breathing becoming frantic as he noticed Jason.

“Where is he?” he cried. “Where’s Dick?”

“He’s at the manor,” Jason replied solemnly. “He’s injured badly. Come with me.”

Jason turned to leave, pausing when he didn’t hear anyone following him. He rounded on the two younger boys. “Didn’t you hear me?” he snapped. “Your brother, who spent half of his life taking care of you, is injured severely. Get your butts in gear.”

Timothy seemed to snap out of his shock and quickly went about the room, gathering as many of their belongings as he could. Damian watched for a bit before beginning to help Timothy. Timothy’s hands began to shake so badly that he was dropping everything so Damian pushed him onto the couch before taking over the packing.

Once he was satisfied with what he had, Damian grabbed Timothy’s wrist and pulled him to his feet, dragging him toward the door where Jason was still waiting. Timothy made to grab at one of the bags, but Damian lightly smacked his hands away.

“I got it,” he snapped. “Focus on walking.”

Timothy resorted to wringing his hands as they both quickly followed Jason down the dirt road toward the large manor that loomed over the town.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian are lead to the manor where Dick is being treated for his injuries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the delay. I've been struggling with anxiety and haven't felt like writing. But here is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy.

**Tim’s POV**

When they reached the front steps of the manor, the door immediately opened and Alfred was there, wearing a grim expression.

“This way, Young Sirs,” he sighed, turning to lead the way.

Tim was doing all he could not to break down on the spot. He had to be strong for Dick, especially since they were back in Wayne Manor. Glancing over at Damian, Tim could see how taut he was. Damian definitely did not want the three of them back here so soon. Unfortunately, it was all out of their hands at this point.

Tim was surprised when they went down a flight of stairs. As far as he knew, they had already been on the first floor. Wayne Manor must be larger than he thought, if that was even possible. The stairs were dimly lit but at the bottom, the lights turned into fluorescents. As Tim took in his surroundings, he noticed that the room looked exactly how you would expect a regular infirmary to look. There were beds lined along each wall, curtains separating each bed. One wall was lined with medical supplies while the last wall led into what seemed to be a surgery room.

Tim held his breath as Alfred led them closer and closer to the surgery room. He let the breath out, however, when Alfred turned and entered a door Tim hadn’t even noticed. He blinked in surprise when he saw six large bathtubs, three on each wall. He let out a gasp as he noticed Dick soaking in one.

“Dick,” Tim cried as he rushed forward.

Dick’s skin was red and raw, most likely from the acid rain that had fallen earlier. Both of his eyes were swollen shut and purple. As Tim glanced into the tub, he noticed Dick’s abdomen had a large ugly bruise. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed Dick’s black briefs were still on, even though he was in the tub.

“What is the meaning of this?” Damian suddenly rounded on Jason. “You stripped him and placed him in a tub? Did he even give you consent to do so?”

“Geez, calm down Mother Hen,” Jason held up his arms in surrender. “First of all, he was covered in acid rain so we did what we had to do before his skin melted off. Second, I’m sure he would’ve consented if he was conscious given that acid hurts. And third, we didn’t completely strip him. He has his underwear on still, in case you didn’t notice.”

“What’s he soaking in?” Tim asked with curiosity.

“I’m not sure,” Jason admitted. “You’ll have to ask Alfred. All I know is that it’s a bunch of soothing shit.”

“Language, Master Jason,” Alfred reprimanded, heading over to the tub and glancing at Dick’s skin. “Master Richard is soaking in some medicated water. I also added some lavender scented oil and baking soda to balance out the pH of the water. There is even some Epsom salt to relax his bruised muscles.”

“Interesting,” Tim mused.

Tim turned as he saw Damian shift next to him. Damian had knelt down on the floor and was placing a hand in the bath water.

“The water is getting chilly,” Damian snapped at Alfred. “He will become ill if he stays in there much longer.”

“Jason, if you would please lift Master Richard out of the tub,” Alfred instructed as he grabbed a black fluffy towel.

Jason moved forward, but Damian suddenly stood in front of the tub.

“I shall lift him,” he bit out, eyes narrowing.

“Fine,” Jason shrugged, stepping aside so Alfred could hand Damian the large towel.

Damian fixed the towel so that it was laying over his arms while Alfred drained the tub. Dick let out a soft groan as his arms lowered with the bath water.

“Shh, Richard,” Damian soothed as he knelt down again, running a hand through his wet hair. “Timothy and I are here.”

“Dami?” Dick groaned softly, his swollen eyelids fluttering slightly.

“Keep your eyes closed, Dick,” Jason instructed. “Trying to open them will just cause the muscles to flare up again.”

Dick reached out a red hand and Tim took it, placing it on his own cheek.  

“Tim,” Dick smiled as he ran his thumb across Tim’s cheek bone.

Dick shivered slightly and Damian gently lifted him out of the tub. Tim helped him wrap the towel around Dick’s shaking form before stepping back.

“This way, Master Damian,” Alfred instructed as he headed toward the door.

Tim followed Alfred and Damian out of the tub room and toward one of the vacant beds. Alfred instructed Damian to place Dick on the bed as he went to get some warm blankets.

“We should probably change him out of those wet briefs,” Tim mumbled, rummaging through one of the bags Damian had packed.

“Agreed,” Damian replied before he whispered, “Richard, what happened?”

Dick just let out a whimper. “I don’t want to talk about it now. Please…”

“Alright,” Damian spoke softly as Tim handed him a fresh pair of red briefs. “I will be taking off your briefs and replacing them with dry ones. Is that okay?”

At Dick’s small nod, Damian took a deep breath and slowly removed his brother’s briefs. Both Tim and Damian swore bitterly at seeing the bruise forming around Dick’s groin.

“What did they do?” Tim cried, panic setting in at the thought of what could have caused that horrible bruise.

Dick flinched as Damian slid the new briefs up his legs. “Nothing,” Dick’s voice sounded guilty. “Just kneed me in the balls a few times.”

“Liar!” Damian scoffed once the briefs were around Dick’s hips.

“Well…it’s partially the truth,” Dick looked sheepish, even with his eyes closed.

“I will kill them,” Damian hissed. “I will fucking kill them.”

“Too late,” Jason piped up as he walked up with a hospital gown. “I took the liberty of killing those scumbags for you.”

“Fuck you,” Damian hissed. “How dare you take that revenge away from me.”

“Some ice for Master Richard’s eyes and nose,” Alfred materialized out of nowhere, causing Tim to jump.

“Thank you,” Tim smiled, taking the offered ice pack out of Alfred’s hands.

“Hold still, Richard,” Damian chastised. “You are acting like a child.”

“It hurts,” Dick cried out, causing Damian to freeze.

“Richard…I didn’t mean—”

“It’s quite alright, Master Damian,” Alfred replied for Dick. “His skin is sensitive from the rain. If I may, I know how to put the gown on with minimal pain.”

Damian seemed to think for a minute before reluctantly stepping aside. He did grab Dick’s right hand to let Dick know that he was nearby. Tim saw Dick squeeze Damian’s hand as Alfred slowly pulled the gown up his shoulders.

“There we are,” Alfred smiled sadly before stepping back. “I need to give him an IV drip for his medications and pain relief. I’ll be back shortly.”

Both Damian and Tim nodded in reply before Alfred gracefully swept out of the room. Tim suddenly turned upon hearing Damian growl. Bruce was standing by the bed, gazing down at Dick sadly.

“I’m sorry this happened,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “The men of this town are disgusting creatures.”

“There was nothing you really could’ve done to prevent it,” Dick spoke softly, curling up slightly as Damian pulled the covers over him.

Tim tried to resist the urge to cuddle him, but he finally couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled the covers back slightly before sliding in front of Dick, curling up against his chest as Dick wrapped an arm around him. Tim felt Dick bury his face in his hair, breathing in deeply at the contact.

“Dick, you need to use that ice on your nose,” Bruce reprimanded.

“Later,” came Dick’s muffled reply. “Just let me…” He trailed off with a choked sob.

“Oh Dick,” Tim sighed sadly as he felt Dick’s body shake with suppressed sobs. He wrapped a skinny arm around Dick’s waist and gave him a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Damian and I are here.”

“What did the men look like?” Damian’s crisp voice suddenly sounded from behind Tim.

“One had shaggy black hair and a fire tattoo on his left bicep,” Jason supplied thoughtfully. “The second one had a buzz cut and scar across his left eye, and the third one was a brunet.”

“I recognize the black haired one,” Damian growled.

Tim let out a gasp. “Wasn’t that the one who felt Dick up at the pub?”

Dick flinched in reply, causing Damian to growl angrily.

“He has been escaping my grasp for months,” he growled before rounding on Jason again. “You took two pieces of revenge away from me in one night.”

“Well, at least they’re all dead,” Jason scoffed. “I could’ve just let them live and slip out of your grasp some more.”

Damian growled again, causing Jason to laugh.

“You sound like a rabid dog,” he chuckled.

“Fuck you.” Damian hissed.

“Sorry, someone already beat you to it,” Jason replied with a smirk.

Damian let out a roar and lunged at Jason. They both fell to the floor with Damian trying to choke Jason. Tim felt Dick shift, probably curious as to what was happening.

“Enough,” Bruce barked.

Tim looked behind him and saw that Bruce held Damian back by the collar of his shirt. Damian was twisting in his grasp, trying to lunge at Jason again. Bruce smacked Damian across the face, causing him to pause his efforts.

“Behave yourself,” Bruce snapped. “This is not helping Dick. In fact, I’m sure it’s only making him feel worse.”

“It is,” Dick admitted softly.

“You two need to behave yourselves or I’ll lock you in the dungeon together for the night,” Bruce threatened.

Damian scoffed. “I’m not one of your soldiers,” he snapped.

“Not yet,” Bruce replied coldly. “But you will be. Now, knock it off.”

Bruce let go of Damian’s shirt and Damian crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

“What happens now?” he asked.

“Well, Dick will remain here until I feel he is well enough to leave,” Bruce replied curtly.

“No,” Damian growled. “We are leaving tonight.”

“Damian,” Tim sighed from the bed. “Dick’s injured. I don’t think he would be able to walk the hour back home. Maybe we should stay for a couple days.”

“Fine,” Damian huffed. “But I will not leave Richard’s side.”

“Very well,” Bruce nodded. “You can have the bed next to his. Alfred, you may proceed.”

Alfred popped up next to Dick. “You must lie on your back, Young Sir,” he spoke softly. “I must get that IV in and then you need to ice your nose.”

Dick curled into Tim further before heaving a sigh. He grunted in pain as he carefully rolled onto his back and lifted his left hand.

“Thank you,” Alfred said, quickly wiping a vein with an alcohol pad and sliding the thick needle in.

Dick hissed in pain as the needle went in.

“Sorry Master Richard,” Alfred apologized, “But it is necessary for your recovery. Now, keep the ice on your face or I will see to it that Master Damian will hold it on for you.”

Dick let out an annoyed huff but didn’t budge as Alfred gently placed the ice pack on his nose. Tim did feel him flinch, but Dick was otherwise still. He did wrap an arm around Tim, though, as Tim lightly rested his head on Dick’s chest. His chest seemed to be the only part of his body that wasn’t bruised for some reason. Tim closed his eyes as he listened to Dick’s heartbeat slow. Pretty soon, Dick’s breathing evened out, indicating that he had fallen asleep.

“Thank you for your hospitality Pennyworth,” Damian spoke from behind Tim again.

“Of course Master Damian,” Alfred replied. “Bruce wouldn’t admit it, but he has a soft spot for young boys who need help. He used to watch Master Richard perform at the circus every night they were in Gotham. He was there when Master Richard’s parents fell.”

“Fell?” Damian sputtered, causing Tim to wince in guilt.

“Yes,” Alfred said. “Master Richard’s parents were murdered by a man named Zucco. The circus manager refused Zucco’s assistance with keeping the circus safe. As a rebellion of sorts, Zucco tampered with one of the trapezes. The tampering caused both of Master Richard’s parents to fall to their deaths, I’m afraid.

“Master Bruce was heartbroken at the sight. After the police questioned Master Richard, Master Bruce tried to follow after him but your brother had disappeared. I believe Master Bruce has been searching for him ever since, but to no avail until now. Both you boys and Master Bruce were lucky at the turn of events last week. Though, Master Bruce can be passionate.”

It was silent for a few moments before Tim could feel Damian’s heated gaze on his back.

“I was not aware of this,” Damian finally said coldly. “And what is of Zucco now?”

“I believe Master Bruce took care of him a decade ago,” Alfred sounded thoughtful. “He went for a walk in the woods and mysteriously disappeared.”

“How convenient,” Damian snorted.

“Yes, many things are convenient as far as Master Bruce is concerned,” Alfred chuckled.

A loud boom shook the manor, causing Tim to jump. He felt the arm around him tighten as a large hand soothingly rubbed his back. Even in sleep, Dick knew Tim was distressed.

“It is alright, Timothy,” Damian spoke as his large hand continued to rub Tim’s back. “It was just thunder.”

Tim inhaled shakily, burying his face in Dick’s chest. He felt Damian’s large hand rake through his hair before traveling down his back again. He then felt the bed dip as Damian sat at the edge of it, boxing Tim in. Another boom sounded and Tim jumped slightly again. He hated loud noises, he absolutely hated them.

“It’s alright, Timothy,” Damian soothed as he continued to rub small circles into Tim’s back. “You are safe. I shall protect both you and Richard. Everything will be okay.”

Damian scooted closer until Tim was almost squished between Damian’s hip and Dick. The pressure was surprisingly soothing and Tim soon found himself becoming sleepy after the day’s stressful events.

He was fighting the sleep until Damian’s soft voice spoke. “Sleep, I shall keep watch.”

With a soft sigh of contentment, Tim finally allowed himself to drift off, trusting Damian to keep them safe.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian learns certain family relations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Thanks so much for sticking with me. I'm sorry I've been terrible at updating. But I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

**Damian’s POV**

Damian stuck to Timothy’s side until he felt him relax and drift off to sleep. Once he was sure Timothy was asleep, Damian carefully stood, turning so he could see the whole room. Alfred had since left but Jason was still there, much to Damian’s annoyance.

Jason had a slight smirk on his face as he glanced down at Richard and Timothy. “So, what’s the deal?” he asked as he gestured to them. “Both of them are older than you yet you watch them like a hawk.”

“Tt,” Damian scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I assume you do not have brothers, so you would not understand my reasoning.”

“Well, I do, actually,” Jason admitted. “Bruce’s soldiers are like family. We take care of each other, protect each other if something goes wrong, and we fight together to defend Bruce and Gotham. So, yes, I do understand.”

“Your so-called brothers are strong, though,” Damian narrowed his eyes. “Timothy and Richard are rather small, in case you did not notice. They will not be able to defend themselves if they were not with me. I am stronger than the two of them combined. It is my duty to protect them as they have protected me over the years. They deserve as much.”

“You’re very passionate about them,” Jason commented, head tilting to the side.

“You would be too if you were in my position,” Damian scoffed.

“And what position is that exactly?” Jason asked.

Damian bristled. “I do not have to talk to you,” he snapped.

“No,” Jason agreed. “But maybe it would help.” He shrugged.

“I am not about to have a heart to heart with someone who aided in the dinner party catastrophe,” Damian rolled his eyes.

“But, I just saved Dick’s life,” Jason sputtered in surprise.

“Does not matter,” Damian shook his head. “That night, not only was Timothy physically injured, but Mr. Wayne gave Richard a panic attack. You tried to stop me from getting to them.”

Jason sighed. “I was following orders,” he mumbled bitterly.

“And if Mr. Wayne asked you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?” Damian scoffed. 

“Honestly, yes,” Jason nodded.

“What?” Damian exclaimed. “Why the hell would you do that?”

“Bruce saved me when I was a child,” Jason explained calmly. “I owe him. If he asked me to jump off a cliff to save his life, then I would do it without hesitation.”

“What if he asked you to do it for no reason?” Damian countered.

“He would never do that,” Jason chuckled. “That would ruin the whole purpose of him saving my life in the first place.”

“You are not understanding what I am trying to say,” Damian was beyond frustrated.

“He was testing you,” Jason deadpanned. “I told him about you and he was intrigued.”

“So you admit fault into what happened?” Damian spat out, standing and stepping menacingly toward Jason. “If you had not told Mr. Wayne about us, we would be at home right now. Timothy wouldn’t have that bruise and Richard wouldn’t be afraid of Mr. Wayne.”

“But, Dick would also be severely injured and have nowhere to go,” Jason pointed out. “That beating he had received would’ve still occurred; the only difference is that you would have nowhere to take him to get treated.”

“Let’s make one thing certain,” Damian growled, pointing a finger into Jason’s chest. “The only reason I am allowing my brothers to stay here for the night is because of Richard’s injuries. Once his skin is less sensitive, I will be carrying him home.”

“And what if Dick and Tim want to stay?” Bruce spoke from the infirmary door. He was leaning against the doorframe, apparently having listened to the conversation for some time. He stood up straight and walked toward Richard’s bed. Damian bristled and pushed Jason aside before standing between Bruce and Richard’s bed. An amused smirk crossed Bruce’s face. “What if they like the safety the manor and its inhabitants provide and decide they want to live here? Would you stop them?”

“Yes,” Damian bit out, his lips curling in a snarl. “I would never allow them to live here with _you_.”

“Even if it made them happy to do so?” Bruce asked with a confident smirk.

Damian clenched his hands into fists, resisting the urge to smack that smirk off of Bruce’s face.

“Your mother was Talia al Ghul, correct?” Bruce asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What of it?” Damian spat. “I resented that woman.”

“Did she ever tell you how you were conceived?” Bruce continued, taking a step forward.

Damian paused and tilted his head to the side before glancing at Jason. Jason looked like a deer in the headlights watching them argue. He turned back to Bruce. “No, she never talked about my father,” he admitted.

“There’s a reason for that,” Bruce commented nonchalantly.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Damian responded. “What is that reason?”

“Because your father left your mother so he could defend a town, just before she gave birth,” Bruce sighed. “Believe me, your father regretted having to make that decision, but it was necessary in order to keep all of those people safe.”

“You seem to know a lot about my father,” Damian said suspiciously.

“Yes,” Bruce nodded. “That’s because that man was me.”

There was a gasp behind Damian, causing him to turn slightly. Timothy was sitting up next to a sleeping Richard, staring between Bruce and Damian with his mouth hanging open.

“Wait, you two are father and son?” he asked, confusion lacing his voice. “I thought Damian was from Arabia.”

“I visited Arabia once, seventeen years ago, to talk with Ra’s al Ghul,” Bruce answered, giving Timothy a soft smile. “It was for business, of course. I have to admit that Talia was such a beautiful woman. She was a handful though, not unlike yourself, Damian.”

“Don’t talk to him,” Damian spat after seeing Bruce giving Timothy that smile. “You are lying! I cannot be related to someone as despicable as you.”

“I’d prove it if I could,” Bruce shrugged.

“My mother said my father’s name was Thomas,” Damian growled. “Your name is Bruce.”

A sad look crossed Bruce’s features. “Thomas was my father’s name,” he sighed. “I guess she didn’t tell you the whole truth in fear of losing you too.” Bruce took another step closer. “I knew exactly who you were the moment I laid eyes on you. You have your mother’s eyes and skin. Your physique, however, resembles mine.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Damian couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“So, what does all of this mean?” Timothy interrupted.

Damian turned back again to see Timothy rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I shall worry about that myself,” Damian could help but reply softly. “Why don’t you get some more sleep?”

“Can’t” Timothy yawned, behind a hand. “You guys were arguing too loud.”

Damian had the decency to look sheepish. “I do apologize,” he sighed.

“Mr. Wayne,” Timothy began.

“You can call me Bruce,” Bruce smiled. “You all can.”

“Okay, Bruce then,” Timothy continued. “Do you mind if I talk to Damian alone about our situation?”

“Of course,” Bruce nodded, turning and beckoning Jason to follow. “Dinner is in an hour and you will both attend.”

“We will not,” Damian snapped.

“You will,” Bruce replied coldly. “It’s the least you can do for me while Dick recovers here. Alfred will be down soon to get you.”

“You—”

“Damian, please,” Timothy’s small voice piped up from the bed. “No more arguing.”

Damian looked into Timothy’s eyes before heaving a sigh of resignation. “Very well,” he said. “We will be at dinner.”

“Good,” Bruce smirked. “See you then.”

And with that Bruce and Jason left the infirmary, leaving Timothy and Damian alone with a still sleeping Richard.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian have another heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I've been feeling guilty about not updating often so I thought I'd give y'all another chapter. I hope you enjoy.

**Tim’s POV**

Tim watched as Damian paced the whole length of the infirmary. Dick was the only one in it anyway, so they had free reign to move around.

“Who does that bastard think he is, ordering us around like that,” he finally growled, turning to continue pacing down the other end of the infirmary. “And for him to tell me that I am his son.”

“Maybe it’s all a test,” Tim suggested as he glanced down at Dick. “He was interested in you becoming a soldier, remember?”

“Doesn’t make what he did any less harsh,” Damian snapped. “He slapped you across the face. He scared Richard.”

“Yes,” Tim agreed slowly. “I agree that his methods are a bit…rough, but maybe he feels it’s necessary.”

“I cannot believe you are defending that man after what he did to you,” Damian huffed, plopping down on the bed next to Dick’s. “If it were up to me, he would’ve been dead last week.”

“I have no doubt,” Tim giggled.

Damian cracked a smile of his own. “What should we do about Richard?” he asked. “If both of us are at dinner, he will be alone, defenseless.”

“Maybe we can ask Jason to watch over him,” Tim suggested. “I don’t know what it is about him, but something seems almost…familiar. I don’t know how to put it.”

“No, absolutely not,” Damian snapped. “You have seen the way he looks at Richard.”

“Yes,” Tim agreed. “He looks at him with care. I think we can trust him, especially since he just saved Dick’s life.”

Damian paused, seeming to mull over what Tim had said. Finally, he heaved a sigh. “Fine,” he agreed. “But he will only be watching Richard for an hour at the most.”

“Okay,” Tim smiled, swinging his legs over the bed and standing.

“Where do you think you are going?” Damian asked as Tim started walking away.

“I was going to get Jason,” Tim replied quietly.

“No,” Damian was quick to shake his head. “We shall have Alfred fetch him when he gets us for dinner. For now, stay put.”

“Wow, you really are overprotective,” Tim rolled his eyes, but sat back down nonetheless.

“I do it for your protection,” Damian huffed. “Who else could protect you from those greedy bastards who could not wait to get their hands on you, or even Richard? If you two would just listen to me, we would not be here with Richard injured.”

“Hey, I’m not saying that I’m ungrateful,” Tim held up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying that it gets old, especially since we are both older than you and you are treating us like kids.”

“I apologize for caring then!” Damian suddenly burst out.

Tim shrunk back a bit in surprise. Damian heaved a big sigh and ran a hand through his dark hair.

“I…apologize for the outburst,” he sighed. “I just have a hard time thinking about possibly losing someone. After Mother…I like to take extra precautions. And I care about you and Richard immensely. I do not like seeing either of you hurt or upset. It burns me up inside just thinking about it. You two are just so lean and small. The thought of someone taking advantage of you…”

Tim stood slowly and sat down next to Damian on his bed. He hesitantly placed a hand on Damian’s broad back and rubbed soothing circles. “I understand,” he whispered. “I feel the same way about you and Dick. Thinking about either of you being hurt really upsets me.

“When you were little, I sought to protect you from the horrors of this new world. I knew you had already been somewhat damaged at the mere age of six by the way you were closed off. It pissed me off to think that someone had made you feel like you needed to guard yourself and your emotions.”

“That would be my mother,” Damian replied bitterly. “She would give me tests that were a survive or die type of thing.”

“God, Damian,” Tim gasped. “You were only six.”

“Actually, she had been doing that for as long as I could remember,” Damian admitted with a shrug. “When I had made a friend with one of Grandfather’s soldiers, she killed him and told me that loss was part of life.”

“Wow,” Tim’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“It is actually part of the reason why I do not handle loss well to this day,” Damian sighed. “I am glad she is dead, though. Otherwise, she probably would find a way to hurt or murder you and Richard. I could not bear for that to occur.”

Tim placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder. “You’re doing a good job,” he mumbled shyly, “Of protecting Dick and I. We’ve been safe so far.”

“Not entirely,” Damian grumbled. “You were slapped and Richard just got mugged.”

“You’re gonna have to learn that you can’t always protect us,” Tim sighed. “It’s part of life. There are going to be instances where both Dick and I could be in danger at once and you couldn’t save us both.”

“I sure can try,” Damian sounded determined.

“Well, maybe Jason can help someday,” Tim grinned. “Once you trust him, of course.”

“I will never trust him,” Damian growled. “Not after last week.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “So, what do you think about staying here?” he changed the subject.

“No,” Damian snapped, turning to give Tim a glare. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” Tim asked. “This manor is a much better place for us to live. Plus, Dick and I wouldn’t have to keep going into town to get supplies. We’d be safer here than if we lived back at the hut.”

“I do not trust Wayne,” was Damian’s curt reply. “He is a horrible man with too much power in his hands. I am almost certain that he has abused his power on more than one occasion.”

“Damian—”

“What if he decided he wanted you, or Richard?” Damian was beginning to sound desperate. “What is to stop him of taking you two away? He has an army and money behind him. If he wanted you, he could easily take you.”

“But he hasn’t,” Tim pointed out. “He hasn’t ‘taken’ us. We’re still here. We’re all still together.”

Damian let out a huff and crossed his muscular arms over his chest defensively.

Tim heaved a sigh. “Why don’t we talk about this more when Dick is awake?” he suggested. “Let’s see what he thinks.”

“Fine,” Damian huffed.

A cleared throat suddenly echoed in the room. Both Tim and Damian turned to see Alfred waiting at the doorway with a small smile.

“Am I interrupting anything?” he asked smoothly.

“No,” Damian snapped, getting to his feet quickly. “I wish to have Jason watch over Richard while we eat.”

“Very well,” Alfred nodded. “I will fetch him really quick.”

“Thank you,” Tim called out as Alfred turned to leave.

“You are most welcome, Young Sir,” Alfred smiled before he walked away.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian have dinner with the inhabitants of Wayne Manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but I thought I'd add it anyway :)

**Damian’s POV**

It was silent as the inhabitants of Wayne Manor ate dinner. All that could be heard was the scraping of silverware on plates. The soldiers were sitting on one end of the long table while Tim, Damian, and Bruce were sitting on the other. There was one solider, who Damian learned was Clark Kent, who was sitting next to Bruce at the head of the table. Damian guessed they were lovers, judging by the way they would steal glances at one another.

Bruce suddenly cleared his throat, causing Damian to glare at him. “So, tell me about you boys,” he smiled. “How old are you and what are your interests?”

“Tt,” Damian stuck his nose in the air. “I do not have to tell you anything.”

“True,” Bruce nodded. “I already know your age and interests anyway. You are sixteen and you like to sketch.”

Damian raised an eyebrow in surprise. How did he know that?

“And Timothy Drake,” Bruce continued, turning to Timothy. “You are eighteen and you enjoy reading. Though I imagine books are hard to come by these days. Richard Grayson, 22; he likes to paint and perform in front of people.”

“Why do you know so much about us?” Damian growled, wrapping a hand around Timothy’s wrist to ease his nerves.

“It’s my job to know everyone who lives in this town,” Bruce replied calmly. “Though I will admit I took an interest in the three of you after hearing about Dick. I knew exactly who he was by Jason’s description. I had wanted to adopt him after his parents’ deaths but he took off before I could.”

“Just as well,” Damian snapped. “I see the way you look at him.”

“I will admit he is very pretty,” Bruce smirked, causing Damian’s blood to boil, “But I’m in a committed relationship.” He turned his head and smiled at Clark. “Tim is pretty too—”

“Shut up!” Damian roared, standing and pulling Timothy from his seat. “We are leaving tonight, and I never want to see your face ever again!”

“See?” Bruce sighed as he looked at Clark. “He lets his emotions control his actions.”

“I guess we’ll have to work on that,” Clark agreed.

“I will not be one of your useless soldiers,” Damian snapped, tightening his grip on Timothy’s wrist.

“Damian, calm down,” Timothy whispered from Damian’s right. “Bruce is right; you are letting your emotions control your actions.”

“So, what if I am?” Damian defended. “I am not just going to sit here while he talks about you like that.”

“It’s nothing new,” Timothy mumbled, averting his eyes to the floor.

“What?” Damian gasped, his hold tightening even more.

Timothy winced. “You’re hurting me,” he whispered.

Damian’s stomach dropped and he instantly let go of Timothy’s wrist, backing up at seeing the red mark wrapped around it.

“I…I am so sorry,” he whispered. “I did not mean to—”

“It’s okay,” Timothy shrugged.

Damian closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and turning to Bruce. “What would you have me do to control my emotions?”

“Breathing exercises for one,” Bruce replied. “Have you ever tried meditation?”

“No,” Damian shook his head.

“That would help too,” Bruce continued. “I also have an isolation room for if your emotions cause you to be destructive.”

“I do not know why my emotions have become so strong lately,” Damian sighed, glancing over at Timothy.

“I do,” Bruce smirked, “But I’ll leave you to figure it out on your own. Do you want to become one of my soldiers?”

“I am still uncertain,” Damian admitted. “I wish to speak to Richard about it before making a final decision.”

“Very well,” Bruce nodded. “No rush, but I can help you control your emotions whether you are my soldier or not. Just let me know.”

“Thank you,” Damian sighed.

“Why don’t you two sit back down and finish dinner?” Clark piped up. “Then Alfred can take you back to your brother.”

Damian nodded before he and Timothy sat down and finished their meal.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick has amnesia about his attack and Jason opens his big mouth. And then brotherly love ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm uploading two chapters today because I have written up to chapter 23 and want to catch up on here. Hope you enjoy!

**Dick’s POV**

Dick groaned in pain as he regained consciousness. The ice was no longer on his nose but he could tell the IV was still in place. He managed to open his eyes and glance around the room. Panic set in when he didn’t see his brothers there with him.

When he saw Jason sitting next to his bed, Dick spoke hoarsely. “Where are they?” he croaked, giving out a weak cough at the dryness of his throat.

Jason calmly reached over to a glass of water and held the straw to Dick’s mouth. “Drink first, questions later,” he said.

Dick rolled his eyes but sucked some water down anyway. The coolness of it soothed his sore throat. When he was done, Dick pulled back and Jason placed the glass back on the bedside table. Dick looked at Jason expectantly and Jason rolled his eyes.

“Your brothers are fine,” he sighed. “Tim went to the bathroom and Damian is with Bruce.”

“Damian…is with Bruce?” Dick rose an eyebrow in surprise.

“There was an incident a couple days ago that made Damian see the light,” Jason shrugged.

“What incident?” Dick gasped. “Is he alright?”

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Jason rolled his eyes again. “It was Tim. Damian grabbed his wrist too hard and left a mark.

Dick cursed under his breath.

“I’m fine, Dick,” Tim called from across the infirmary. He headed to Dick’s bed and showed him his wrist. “See? It’s mostly faded.”

“Wait…how long was I asleep?” Dick asked, noticing that his pain was less severe than it had been when he was last awake.

Jason and Tim shared a look. “Uh…”

“You’ve been in and out for a couple days,” Tim admitted. “You don’t remember anything?”

Dick paused before shaking his head.

“That would most likely be due to the concussion, Young Sir,” Alfred spoke smoothly as he entered the room with a serving tray. “I expect you to eat all of the food I have prepared for you. Jason, can you help him sit up please?”

“Sure,” Jason smiled, standing and reaching Dick’s bedside.

Dick struggled to sit up as Jason held him and Tim placed extra pillows behind Dick. Once there were enough pillows, Jason helped Dick lean back. Alfred then gently placed the tray in Dick’s lap. It appeared to be some kind of stew. Dick’s stomach instantly growled as the smell wafted to his nose. He took a bite and moaned as the taste hit his tongue.

“This is delicious, Alfred,” Dick said excitedly. “Thank you.”

“You are most welcome,” Alfred replied. “Now, sit still and eat while I check your vitals.”

Alfred gently prodded Dick’s nose then moved around to check his blood pressure and temperature. When he was done, Alfred wrote them down on a chart at the foot of Dick’s bed.

“All seems well,” he said. “Your nose is even healing nicely. The swelling has gone down and the discoloration appears to be normal so far. I will keep an eye out for anything unusual, just in case.”

“Thanks Alfred,” Dick smiled kindly.

Alfred returned the smile warmly. “You are most welcome,” he said. “Now, you have been unaware for three days, but have been moving in and out of consciousness during that time. What do you remember?”

“Umm…” Dick trailed off, thinking. “I remember heading to town just to get out of the house, but things get fuzzy after that. I remember the blow to my nose but that’s about it. What exactly happened?”

“We don’t know,” Tim frowned. “We only know what Jason saw.”

“And what did you see?” Dick asked, turning to Jason.

“Well, an elderly lady recognized my uniform and told me that a ‘young lad’ came to her rescue when three men were about to mug her,” Jason began hesitantly. “By the time she showed me where you were, you were already beat up pretty badly and they were…”

“What?” Dick asked a bit worriedly. “What were they doing to me?”

Jason sighed and ran a hand through his dark locks.

“Spit it out,” Dick snapped.

“They were molesting you, alright?” Jason snapped back. “One had a hand around your neck while another was pulling your shirt up. The third one had his hand down your pants.”

Dick’s blood ran cold and his chest began to constrict. He felt a smaller hand grab one of his own and turned to see Tim watching him. He was talking to him but all Dick could hear was a roaring in his ears. His breaths were coming out in gasps and tears started trailing down his cheeks.

“Breathe, Dick, you have to breathe,” Tim was basically shouting at him. “Come on Dick, breathe with me. Follow my breaths.”

Tim placed Dick’s hand on his own chest so Dick could feel his chest move. Dick managed a shaky inhale before letting out a cough.

“That’s it,” Tim soothed, his voice lowering into a calm tone.

“What happened?” a familiar voice asked as a larger hand rested on Dick’s opposite shoulder.

Tim mumbled something Dick couldn’t hear and he heard a sharp curse to his right. He turned his gaze and saw Damian on his other side. His large hand was rubbing Dick’s shoulder soothingly.

Green met blue as Damian tried to whisper something to Dick. “Listen to Timothy,” Damian whispered. “You are going to be okay.”

“Dick,” Tim called, causing Dick’s wide eyes to turn back to him. “Continue to breathe with me.”

Dick managed another deep shaky inhale and both Tim and Damian praised him. He found himself reaching out, craving physical contact. Tim moved first, tucking his head under Dick’s chin. Then Damian wrapped his arms around the two of them, kissing the top of Dick’s head. Dick found the next breath much easier with his brothers enveloping him. He buried his face in Tim’s hair and inhaled his brother’s scent. Though Tim’s hair smelled differently due to the use of shampoo, his usual scent was still there, calming Dick to his very core.

“Doing better?” Tim mumbled from Dick’s chest.

All Dick could do was nod. He had missed cuddling with his brothers. He had been stuck in this bed too long in his opinion. He felt Tim let out a content sigh and knew he felt the same. He winced slightly when he rubbed his face too hard into Tim’s hair. He had almost forgotten about his nose. His grip on Tim tightened when he felt Tim trying to pull back.

“Dick?” Tim sounded worried.

“M’fine,” Dick mumbled, his face still in Tim’s hair.

Tim struggled slightly but Dick didn’t let go. Tim let out a slightly annoyed sigh. “Dick’s famous bear hug is engaged.”

“Well, you are the smallest now,” Damian commented as he let go of Dick. “Makes you more subjective to the hugs.”

“Ugh,” Tim groaned. “Dick, let go.”

“Nope, not happening,” Dick mumbled, turning his face to rest his left cheek on Tim’s head so he could give Damian a grin. Damian rolled his eyes in reply. “You know all about these hugs, right Damian?”

“All too well,” Damian nodded in agreement. “Thank goodness I’m too large for you to coddle these days.”

“So, are you okay Dick?” Jason piped up from somewhere in the room. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Oh no,” Tim replied sarcastically. “You only shouted it at him in a rude manner.” He let out a breath of air as Dick squeezed him. “Dick, can’t breathe.”

“Oh, sorry,” Dick reluctantly let go and allowed Tim to move back to the chair he had been occupying earlier. “Can we just talk about something else?”

“Sure,” Tim nodded.

“We shall have a word later, Todd,” Damian snapped before he turned his attention to Dick. “Would you like to walk around some? I am sure Alfred would allow it.”

Dick nearly jumped with glee. “Yes!” he pleaded, causing both Tim and Damian to laugh.

“So predictable,” Damian chuckled.

Dick stuck his tongue out at Damian childishly before pulling back the covers.

“Whoa, wait a minute,” Jason called out. “We need to ask Alfred first.”

“Awe, why?” Dick whined.

“He’s the one certified in the medical field,” Jason replied. “I’ll go get him. You stay put until I get back.”

Dick let out a huff of annoyance and crossed his arms over his chest as Jason left. Once Jason was gone, Dick turned to grin at his brothers.

“Are we really going to wait for him?” he giggled.

“Of course not,” Damian smirked, holding out a hand. “Come on, we shall show you around.”

“Cool,” Dick grinned, grabbing Damian’s hand.

Tim got on Dick’s other side and grabbed a hand too. Together, Tim and Damian carefully helped Dick to his feet. He let out a soft groan as his bruises protested at the change.

“Everything okay?” Tim asked from Dick’s left.

“Yeah, just sore,” Dick replied.

“Can you walk?” Damian asked from his left.

Dick shrugged before taking an experimental step forward. His muscles hurt from the movement but it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. “So far so good,” he replied.

“Good,” Damian smiled. “If you need assistance, let me know.”

“Will do,” Dick nodded.

“Come on, we’ll show you around,” Tim said excitedly, keeping a grip onto Dick’s hand for balance.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Damian show Dick around and Dick runs into a familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of the day!

**Dick’s POV**

“And this is the gym,” Tim grinned, leading the way into the spacious room.

Dick looked around the room in awe. There were all kinds of equipment in the room; heavy weights, treadmills, and there was even a sparring mat on the far left. Dick glanced up and blinked in surprise. “Are those trapezes for me?”

“Yeah,” Tim nodded. “And the rings over there.”

“Wow,” Dick was amazed.

“I will admit that Wayne has kept his promises so far,” Damian sighed from Dick’s right.

“Is that a bad thing?” Dick questioned with an eyebrow raised.

“No,” Tim rolled his eyes. “Damian just wants to hate Bruce. Oh, Dick, there’s a greenhouse on the grounds! You have to see it!”

Dick grinned in reply. “I’d love to.”

“Come on,” Tim said excitedly, grabbing Dick’s hand and lightly pulling on it. As Tim turned to leave, he bumped into a solid body. “Oh, sorry,” he mumbled, glancing up at the tall muscular soldier.

“It’s alright,” the young man smiled, blue eyes sparkling.

“Connor, why’d you stop?” a voice whined from behind. A skinny teen with auburn hair appeared from behind the tall soldier. “Oh, hi.” He waved with a grin. “I’m Wally West and this is Connor Kent. Who are you?”

“I’m Dick Grayson and these are my brothers Tim and Damian,” Dick smiled. “Your voice sounds familiar.” Dick pondered. “Have we met before?”

“I saw Jason carry you in when you were injured,” Wally supplied. “I had to go get Alfred.”

“Oh,” Dick nodded in remembrance. “You sounded very frantic.”

“Well, you should’ve seen yourself,” Wally defended, crossing his arms. “You looked like death.”

“Gee thanks,” Dick chuckled, grasping at his bruised ribs.

“Also, I saw you perform once,” Wally grinned. “I got to take a picture with you. It was a long time ago so I’m sure you don’t remember.”

“Wally West,” Dick mulled. “Didn’t your mom call you Wallace?”

“Yeah,” Wally chuckled, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “That’s my full name, but I prefer Wally.”

“And I prefer Dick over Richard,” Dick grinned. “Yeah, I remember you. Who could forget that hair?”

“Ha ha,” Wally rolled his eyes. “You gave me a tour around the circus.”

“And I introduced you to my parents,” Dick smiled.

“Yeah,” Wally nodded. “They seemed like nice folks.”

“They were,” Dick sighed sadly.

Tim, who had been watching the two of them, spoke up. “Dick, the greenhouse?”

“Yeah, sure,” Dick smiled over at Tim. “Thanks for taking me down memory lane, Wally.”

“No problem,” Wally beamed. “See you around?”

“Absolutely,” Dick agreed.

“Cool, enjoy the greenhouse,” Wally waved before he followed Connor into the gym.

“Thanks,” Dick called over his shoulder.

Damian moved up from behind both Tim and Dick. Dick turned to grin at him.

“Where have you been?” he asked.

“Tt,” Damian huffed. “Checking out the equipment. Where else?”

Dick held up his free hand in surrender. “Just curious,” he chuckled, his other hand on Tim’s shoulder for support. “Now, about this greenhouse?”

Tim turned his head to beam at him. “You’re gonna love it,” he gushed, eyes sparkling with excitement. “The grass is as green as you would describe and the trees…” he trailed off with a dreamy look in his eyes.

“Well, lead the way then,” Dick grinned, turning to beam and roll his eyes fondly at Damian. “Don’t just stand here and tell me about it, silly.”

“Okay, come on,” Tim was enthusiastic, taking both of Dick’s hands and carefully but excitedly pulling him out of the gym.

Dick chuckled as he slowly followed Tim, keeping a hand on Tim’s thin shoulder as Tim excitedly rambled about how green the grass was. Dick turned his gaze to Damian and fund himself surprised. Damian had a very fond look on his face as he watched Tim. There was even a small dusting of a blush on his cheeks. Dick nearly fell on his face when he saw Damian’s lips slightly quirked in a smile. Just how long had he been so out of it that Damian became this way toward Tim?

“Here we are!” Tim exclaimed with a small squeal of excitement.

Dick glanced up to see big French glass doors. He could make out green before Tim even pushed them open. What met his sight brought tears to his eyes.

There were small trees and flowers and just every plant a billionaire would probably own. Each tree seemed to have been mutated slightly so that they wouldn’t outgrow the greenhouse. There were all kinds of flowers in assorted colors. There were even some shrubs at each corner of the room.

Dick turned to smile at his brothers. “This is what I remember,” he whispered, his voice shaking with emotion. “This is what I remember of Earth before the apocalypse.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim has a bad flashback. Then there's a bit of Damian/Tim bonding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much to say about this chapter. There is physical child abuse in it in case that freaks anyone out.

**Tim’s POV**

Tim paused as Dick took in the sights. The look on Dick’s face was priceless. So much joy was visible that it brought tears to Tim’s eyes. He turned away as Dick let go of his shoulder and limped toward one of the pine trees. Tim wrapped his arms around himself as he looked out the greenhouse windows. If only the rest of the world could be this beautiful.

Tim startled slightly as a large hand rested on his shoulder. “Are you alright Timothy?” Damian’s soft voice sounded from behind him.

Tim plastered a smile on his face and turned to face him. “Yeah, I’m good,” he nodded. “I just wish the rest of the world could look like this.”

Damian quirked a brow as his green eyes stared into Tim’s blue ones. Tim squirmed slightly under the intense gaze before Damian spoke up. “You are lying,” he accused.

Tim rolled his eyes. “I don’t always have to be truthful,” he suddenly snapped.

“Uh…” Dick suddenly piped up from their right.

Tim blushed as he remembered that Dick was with them. He felt guilty for forgetting for that one moment. He glanced down at his feet in embarrassment, listening as Dick’s uneven steps approached him.

Dick placed a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “Everything okay?” he asked.

Tim glanced up at Dick’s knowing look before letting out a sigh. “Just bad memories,” he mumbled.

“What do you mean?” Damian asked softly.

Tim bashfully glanced over at Damian before turning his gaze back to Dick. Just as he was about to speak, a loud clap of thunder sounded, causing Tim to yelp. He immediately jumped into Dick’s open arms and clutched at his white shirt, burying his face in the parts of Dick’s chest that weren’t bruised.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Dick mumbled into Tim’s left ear as he rubbed Tim’s back. “You’re safe.”

“What bad memories was he speaking of, Richard?” Damian’s sharp voice demanded.

Tim felt more than heard Dick let out a huff. “That’s not my place to tell you,” he replied. Tim’s shaking decreased slightly as Dick’s hug around him tightened. “I never tell him about your past.”

Damian let out a huff. “Very well then. Should we go back inside?”

“That’s a good idea,” Dick nodded, shifting slightly as Tim’s grip on his shirt tightened. “Tim, it’s okay. We’re gonna go back into the manor where it’s safe. You with me?”

All Tim could feel was terror, white hot terror traveling down the back of his spine. As the thunder shook the ground, he fell into a flashback.

_“You are such a disgrace!” Tim’s father shouted as a hand came down across Tim’s left cheek. “You should be ashamed.”_

_“You shouldn’t even be alive right now,” his mother sneered from somewhere behind him._

_Tim’s father gripped the collar of Tim’s shirt and slammed him into the bookcase that had been to their right. Tim shivered slightly as he felt his mother’s breath at his left ear. “You should just go die,” she whispered. “It would make our lives much easier.”_

_“Please…” Tim’s voice sounded weak even to himself._

_“Look at you,” his father tsked. “You can’t even beg for forgiveness. What a weakling. What a waste of space you are.” A hand came back down on Tim’s already bruised cheek before he was thrown across the room. Tim’s left arm hit one of the armchairs in the room, instantly shattering it. He let out a sharp gasp of pain before his face was thrust into the red carpet. Where the carpet began and his blood ended, Tim didn’t know._

_“You had better be up in your room by the time we get back from the party or I swear to you, you won’t be able to even walk tomorrow,” his father’s menacing voice echoed throughout the room._

_Tim whimpered slightly as a thin hand gripped onto his broken arm. “You had better not make a single peep as the servants do their chores,” his mother snapped into his ear. “No whining about what we have done to you; no crying for help. They wouldn’t believe you anyway because you are just a worthless little child. What proper adult would ever believe someone as disgraceful as you?”_

_“Tim?” a voice, not part of the flashback echoed. “Tim, can you hear me?”_

Tim sucked in a deep breath as a cold, soothing hand rested on his left cheek. “Tim?” it was Dick’s voice sounding concerned but gentle. “Tim, are you with me? Take a few more deep breaths for me. That’s it.”

Tim managed to suck in another lung-full of air, his fuzzy brain beginning to clear with each breath. He didn’t even realize his eyes had been squeezed shut as he registered darkness. He could feel that his body was in the fetal position, his muscles stiff from clutching onto himself so tightly.

“Timothy?” Damian’s voice now, a big hand gently massaging one of his arms. “Come back to us please.”

Wait, did Damian just say please? Tim finally opened his eyes, locking onto Damian instantly. Damian’s thick brows were wrinkled with worry as his jade eyes locked onto Tim’s blue ones. A hand, smaller than Damian’s, reached toward his face and Tim instantly flinched away.

“It’s alright, Tim,” Dick soothed, Tim looking to his left to see Dick there. “I was just gonna wipe your tears away. I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

Tim struggled another wave of breath into his body, forcing his body to slowly ease its tense muscles. “I’m sorry,” he whispered brokenly.

“Hey,” Dick slowly reached to Tim’s face again and turned it toward him. “Never apologize for having a flashback. You couldn’t help it.”

“I know,” Tim mumbled in reply.

“You okay now?” Dick asked, a small tremor in his voice.

Tim gazed into Dick’s concerned, watery eyes. “Yeah,” he nodded. “I’m better.”

Tim could see Dick’s body relax in relief. “Good,” he sighed. “That was the worst one I’ve seen you have. What caused it?”

Tim shrugged, slowly uncurling himself. Both Damian and Dick drew away to give him space. “I think it was a mixture of things,” he admitted. “Maybe the familiar smells of the plants and the sound of the thunder brought it on.”

“The plants?” Damian sounded a bit skeptical. “It has not bothered you before.”

Tim just shrugged again. “I don’t know then,” he sighed. “Maybe all the stress from the past two weeks is finally catching up to me.”

“You know,” Jason spoke up from somewhere across the infirmary, which Tim just realized he had been carried to, “Alfred isn’t just a medic. He is also a good listener. I wouldn’t go as far as labeling him a therapist, though, but maybe he can help with your flashbacks, Tim. Yours and Dick’s.”

“I don’t have flashbacks,” Dick snapped, turning to glare at Jason.

“Yeah, sure you don’t,” Jason rolled his eyes.

“I don’t,” Dick defended, standing with a wince to head over to Jason. “And I don’t need someone I barely know tell me what I have and don’t have.”

“Well—”

“Timothy,” Damian whispered, drawing Tim’s attention away from the heated argument and toward Damian.

“Hmm?” Tim replied, rolling his tense shoulders.

“What were you remembering?” Damian asked quietly.

“Damian…”

“I just wish to understand,” Damian pleaded softly, reaching out a hand and taking one of Tim’s own.

Tim heaved a sigh before glancing over at Dick and Jason. “It was about my parents,” he whispered. “They were abusing me just because I asked them what party they were going to. I guess they had thought I wanted to join them.”

“Why would they abuse you over that?” Damian cocked his head to the side.

“Beats me,” Tim shrugged. “To this day, I wonder why they did all they did to me. Maybe it made them feel better. I was a mistake, after all.”

“You, Timothy, are anything but a mistake,” Damian uttered softly, pulling Tim’s hand to his face and rubbing it against his cheek. “You are a blessing.”

Tim could feel his embarrassingly red blush reach his cheeks as he bashfully gazed down at his lap. “I doubt that,” he mumbled, “But thank you.”

“Your parents really screwed up your head,” Jason’s voice suddenly sounded from Tim’s left, causing him to jump in surprise.

“Todd, don’t startle him,” Damian snapped protectively. “Lord knows he was already scared enough without you making it worse.”

“Sorry, geez,” Jason held up his hands in surrender.

“They did, though,” Dick sighed as he took a seat on the edge of Tim’s bed and took his free hand, kissing it softly before nuzzling it. “He has no idea what a blessing he is and how much he is loved.”

“Could you guys quit talking about me like I’m not here,” Tim chuckled nervously, pulling both of his hands away from Damian and Dick and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “And Dick, you should be back in bed.”

“Yes Mother,” Dick rolled his eyes but did as he was told, sliding into the bed he had been previously occupying.

“I say it because I care,” Tim grinned, standing and giving his body a good stretch. “Man, how long was I out?”

“About half an hour,” Dick replied with a worried frown. “I had the hardest time getting you out of that flashback. I was afraid you’d pass out from your hyperventilation.”

“But I didn’t, right?” Tim asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Nope, you didn’t,” Dick agreed with a nod.

“Good, then there’s nothing to worry about,” Tim smiled, wincing slightly as he moved one of his sore shoulders.

“Timothy, come here,” Damian demanded softly, beckoning Tim back on the bed.

“What? Why?” Tim asked, suspicious of Damian’s intentions.

“Just do it,” Damian sighed, exasperated.

Tim narrowed his eyes at Damian, who waited patiently (for once) for Tim to do as he asked. Tim finally sighed and sat back down on the bed. Damian leaned forward and gently guided Tim back. Then, his large hands rested on top of Tim’s shoulders before they gently began to massage him. Tim’s eyes closed briefly in bliss before a flashing memory of his father forced his eyes back open. He instead let his head drop and let out a sigh as Damian slowly moved from his shoulders to his arms then down his back. He hadn’t even realized how sore and tense his muscles had been until Damian started working their kinks out. The next thing he knew, his eyelids were getting droopy as Damian gently pushed him so his back hit the bed.

“Roll over,” Damian commanded softly.

Tim sluggishly did as asked, resting his head on the bed’s pillow and placing his arms under the pillow. Damian then proceeded to massaging Tim’s back, kneading out any stubborn knots his skilled fingers felt. Tim could feel the sleep creeping up and he struggled to push it away. He knew that he would have nightmares if he even so much as closed his eyes, but he was so tired, and Damian’s fingers felt so good that he eventually gave in and fell asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is an attack on the castle. Joker makes his first appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be updating this story like every day because I'm using it for NaNoWriMo. I have to write about 1,663 words a day which is about a chapter. I hope you guys enjoy the updates as much as I do :)

**Damian’s POV**

Once Damian felt Timothy’s body relax completely, he slowly ceased his massage and pulled a thick wool blanket over Timothy’s lean form. He looked so small under it that Damian couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at the cuteness. A clearing of a throat brought Damian back to awareness of who else was in the room. Instantly, his face turned crimson as he glanced over at a grinning Todd and a smirking Richard. “What?” he huffed, crossing his arms defensively.

“Oh nothing,” Todd smirked. “You just seem rather cozy over there with him.”

“So what if I am?” Damian huffed. “It is not as if you have not gotten ‘cozy’ with Richard lately.”

“Excuse me?” Richard coughed from his bed. “When did Jason get ‘cozy’ with me?”

“He gave you meat the first time he asked your name,” Damian rolled his eyes, standing and walking toward Richard and lowering his voice so as not to wake Timothy. “He also invited you to that dinner, even though it was a trap. Also, he risked his life saving yours and has not left your side since you have woken except for when Timothy and I were with you earlier. If that is not how you would use the term ‘cozy’ then I do not know how else to put it.”

Richard seemed to gap at Damian before rounding onto Todd. “Have you been hitting on me while I’m injured?”

“What?” Todd gaped, his eyes widening. “Hell no. I’m not the type of person who would do that. I’ve just been concerned is all.”

“See Damian?” Richard turned back to Damian. “It’s nothing; he’s just being concerned.”

“As am I for Timothy,” Damian replied smoothly. “I have seen how panic attacks have affected you, Richard. They do not look pleasing. However, you seem to know how to snap yourself out of them for the most part whereas Timothy does not. Look how long it took for us to get him back into the present. It does not nearly take you that long. Plus, this is the first panic attack I have ever witnessed Timothy experience. Therefore, I highly doubt he gets them often enough to know how to snap out of them. So, I was merely being a concerned brother. Lord knows his little body cannot handle all of that stress.”

“Whoa there,” Richard held up his hands in surrender. “Alright then.”

“No need to get your panties in a twist,” Todd smirked, leaning back against the wall next to Richard’s bed.

“I do not own panties,” Damian rolled his eyes. “But maybe you do.”

“Ooh burn,” Richard laughed before the smile fell off his face.

Damian followed his gaze to Timothy’s bed. Timothy appeared to be having a nightmare, his legs and arms twitching as if he was expecting a blow. His body then began to shake as a thin sheen of sweat appeared on his face and neck. His breath started coming out in gasps and Damian found himself swiftly walking to his side. He carefully sat down on the edge of Timothy’s bed before gingerly resting a hand on Timothy’s shoulder. Timothy’s body flinched violently before Damian leaned in and began to whisper into Timothy’s ear. “It is alright, Timothy,” he whispered as he ran a hand through Timothy’s tousled hair. “You are safe. I will protect you.”

Though Timothy was still asleep, he seemed to be responding to Damian’s voice for he rolled over and curled himself around Damian’s hips. Damian continued to pet Timothy’s hair gently, watching as Timothy’s facial features eased into comfort.

“Damian—” Richard began.

“Jason!” Wallace West shouted as he ran into the infirmary. “There’s an attack on the manor. You’re needed right away.”

Todd pushed off the wall quickly and jogged over to West. “Stay with them; keep them safe,” he demanded before he ran out of the room.

Damian felt Timothy sit up in the bed and turned to look at him. His hair was askew and he was rubbing sleep out of his eyes. “What’s with all the shouting?” he asked with a yawn.

“There is an attack occurring,” Damian answered, reaching out to push Timothy’s hair down.

“What?” Timothy gasped, gently pushing Damian’s hands away. “Shouldn’t we help?”

“Nah, the other soldiers got this covered,” West grinned from the doorway. “Besides, you aren’t properly trained.”

“I almost am,” Damian pointed out. “Maybe I can—”

“No,” West shook his head. “Bruce is very strict about us going through all of our training before we are cleared to fight. He wouldn’t allow you to fight.”

Damian huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. There was a loud boom above them and shouting could be heard as well as maniacal laughter. Damian could feel Timothy shaking beside him. “Timothy?” Damian spoke softly. “You okay?”

Timothy seemed to swallow before slowly nodding his head. Damian’s gaze shifted over to Richard as he got out of his bed and limped over to Timothy’s. “It’s gonna be okay Tim,” he whispered as he sat down and wrapped Timothy up in a hug. “These soldiers are trained for this stuff. We’ll be okay.”

Just as Richard finished his sentence, they could hear pounding footsteps going down the stairs toward the infirmary. West instantly pulling his sword off his back and got in position by the entrance. Damian stood as well and pulled his collapsible sword out of his sleeve. He never went anywhere without it and Bruce seemed to know but didn’t care. Damian stood in front of Timothy’s bed as the first attacker entered the room. Damian paused in surprise. The attacker was dressed up like a clown. His face was stock white with a big red dot on each cheekbone. There was black around his eyes and he was grinning as he pulled out his own sword and began to fight with West. The clown was much larger than West, but West was quicker. Every time the sword came down, West was one step ahead. Eventually, West managed to stab the clown in the chest and the clown went down.

“Who the hell was that?” Richard sounded frantic.

“That was one of Joker’s soldiers,” West sighed as he cut the man’s throat for good measure.

“Who is Joker?” Damian asked as he turned to comfort Richard.

“He is Bruce’s worst enemy,” West answered, taking a sheet off one of the beds and draping it over the body. “He has been trying to take Bruce’s land for years, as well as his life. He believes in slaves and Bruce doesn’t agree with that for obvious reasons. Bruce knows that if Joker ever won, his town and everyone in it would be dead, whether by slavery or murder. Thank God he has prepared us for fighting with him because Joker fights dirty.”

“That I do,” a shrill voice echoed before West went down.

Damian spun around and drew his sword as Richard and Timothy gasped behind him. “Who are you?” he bit out between clenched teeth.

“Why, I’m the Joker,” the man laughed, his wild green hair shaking with his laughter.

“Well, you are going down,” Damian spat menacingly as he held up his sword.

The Joker’s laugh was frightening as he pulled out a strange looking sword. The blade was purple and transparent and even seemed to be glowing. “Go ahead and try,” he cackled.

Damian quickly turned to see his brothers gripping tightly to each other in fear. The hand on the hilt of his sword tightened and he turned back to the Joker before rushing forward.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soldiers and Bruce learn that Joker has an accomplice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I forgot to update yesterday lol. But here's a chapter today. Hope you enjoy!

**Jason’s POV**

Jason and Clark were guarding Bruce as the fighting occurred. Bruce could fight as well, in fact he often taught the soldiers, but it was protocol for two soldiers to guard Bruce whenever an attack occurred. Jason was surprised to see no signs of Joker.

“Anyone got eyes on the Joker?” he spoke into the comm in his ear.

“No,” Connor panted.

“I don’t see him,” Roy replied.

A few of the other soldiers said the same.

“Wally, any sign of Joker?” Jason asked. There was no answer. “Wally?” he tried again.

“Shit, he was in the infirmary,” Roy shouted.

Jason turned to Bruce with pleading eyes. Bruce let out a sigh but nodded. “Go check it out,” he said. “Roy, take Jason’s place when you get the chance.”

“Got it,” Roy spoke into the comm.

Jason then took off, taking the stairs to the infirmary two at a time. When he reached the entrance to the infirmary, he saw both Wally and Damian on the ground and Joker moving toward Tim and Dick. He was about to move forward when he saw Wally convulsing out of the corner of his eyes. “Get the medic to the infirmary,” he spoke into the comm. “Wally and Damian have been poisoned by Joker’s blade.”

“Right away,” Alfred spoke.

“Ah Jason,” Joker’s smile widened as he turned to face him. “How are you?”

“Quit the chitchat,” Jason growled, “And step away from the citizens.”

Joker threw his head back and laughed. “I was finished here anyway,” he cackled. “I got what I needed.”

“And what would that be?” Jason bit out through clenched teeth.

“Intel, of course,” Joker grinned. “I heard that the boy of the Flying Graysons has been found, as well as the Drake boy. Do you have any idea how much money the Drake boy is worth in the slave world? Same with the Grayson boy. They both have the perfect bodies.”

“Shut up!” Jason screamed as he lunged forward, sword out.

“You remember your time as a slave, don’t you?” Joker cackled as their swords met. “Remember the crowbar?”

“I said shut up!” Jason roared as he managed to nick Joker’s left side.

Joker just laughed before his blade came down and scraped Jason across his cheek. Jason went down as the pain from the poison instantly spread throughout his body. “See you on the flip side,” Joker cackled before he jumped over toward the stairs and left.

Jason groaned in pain. He could feel his cheek swelling. He suddenly felt two hands on his face, one on his forehead and the other on his hurt cheek. “Jason, are you okay?” it was Dick’s voice.

“His sword is laced with poison,” Jason groaned. “I don’t have much time before I pass out.”

“Good thing I am here then,” Alfred piped up as he knelt beside Jason.

“Help Wally and Damian first,” Jason croaked.

“Already did,” Alfred nodded before he injected the antidote into Jason’s cheek. “Now, let’s get you up and into a bed.”

“I don’t need a bed Alfred,” Jason chuckled weakly. “The antidote will be working soon.”

“But in the meantime, I want you resting,” Alfred tutted.

“Alright fine,” Jason sighed. “I know better than to argue with you.”

“That’s right,” Alfred nodded as he grabbed one of Jason’s arms and helped him to his feet.

Jason blinked in surprise when he saw both Wally and Damian in some beds. “You carried them to bed?”

“Of course, Master Jason,” Alfred answered smoothly. “I once had to carry Master Bruce to bed on occasion. Master Wallace is much lighter, and Master Damian is a tad lighter as well.”

“Will they be okay?” Tim spoke up, still in his bed.

“Of course, Master Timothy,” Alfred nodded. “I am familiar with the toxin Joker used. They should be right as rain in a couple hours.”

“Thank God,” Dick spoke up as he got back in his bed. “So, I guess the infirmary will be pretty full after this attack.”

“Yes,” Alfred agreed, helping Jason into a bed. “The Joker does fight dirty after all.”

“So Wally told us,” Tim chuckled a bit as he got out of his bed and headed to Damian’s. He rested a hand on Damian’s forehead with a frown before turning over to Jason. “What did Joker mean by ‘slaves’?”

Jason heaved a big sigh, pausing in movement so Alfred could bandage his cheek. “Joker likes all types of slaves, labor ones and pleasure ones. I imagine he wanted to sell the two of you as pleasure slaves.”

Tim’s face instantly paled. He let out a gasp as Damian suddenly gripped onto his wrist. “I would not have let that happen,” Damian snapped, wincing as he shifted on his bed.

“You were unconscious Dami,” Dick rolled his eyes. “You couldn’t have done anything.”

“Does not change the fact that I would not have allowed that to happen,” Damian huffed. He suddenly pulled Tim onto his bed, causing Tim to let out a surprised squeak. “I swear to you both, I would never let anyone get ahold of you.” He wrapped an arm around Tim’s slim waist as Tim leaned against Damian’s chest.

“Okay, you two are so adorable that I’m about to vomit,” Jason smirked. “Why don’t you two just date already?”

“Um, no thank you,” Tim chuckled. “We’re brothers.”

“Yes,” Damian agreed. “I am just being supportive.”

“If you say so,” Jason rolled his eyes.

He turned as he heard slow steps enter the room. Bruce was at the doorway with a small smile on his face. “The manor lives to serve another day,” he announced.

“Thank God,” Jason sighed with relief.

“What happened here?” Bruce asked with a quirked eyebrow. Jason followed his range of sight to Damian and Tim.

“Joker happened,” Damian spit out. “He threatened to sell Timothy and Richard into slavery.”

“Well, we won’t let that happen,” Bruce said with such confidence that Jason could see all three brothers’ stances relax.

Everyone turned to Wally’s bed when they heard him whimper. His face was pale and he was shivering in his sleep. His face was scrunched up in what appeared to be fear. Bruce cursed before ordering Alfred to go to the medicine room.

“What’s going on?” Dick asked, head cocked to the side cutely.

“It appears Joker has an accomplice,” Bruce sighed.

“Oh no,” Jason gasped. “Scarecrow.”

“Yeah,” Bruce nodded.

“Who’s Scarecrow?” Tim asked, grunting slightly as Damian’s hold on him tightened.

“He used to be a psychiatrist before the apocalypse,” Bruce explained, walking over to Wally’s bed and resting a large hand on his sweaty forehead. “He likes to experiment with drugs in order to draw the fear out of people. Basically, he uses a toxin that causes people to hallucinate about their greatest fears.”

Damian suddenly let out a gasp of his own. Jason turned to him and saw that his green eyes were wide with fear. “No,” he whispered.

“Damian?” Tim looked up at Damian’s face, suddenly whimpering as the hold around his waist tightened further. “Damian, you’re hurting me.”

“Y-you can’t take them,” Damian suddenly gasped out, staring at Bruce. “I won’t let you.”

“I’m not going to take your brothers from you,” Bruce answered smoothly. “That would do you no good.”

“ _Lies_ ,” Damian hissed. “I see the way you look at them with greed. You want them for yourself or maybe you would even sell them like Joker wanted to.”

“I would _never_ ,” Bruce hissed back. “I don’t approve of slaves. In fact, slavery disgusts me.”

Jason blinked a bit as something caught the corner of his eye. He let out a gasp as he saw the Joker standing next to his bed with a grin. “Hello Jason,” he snickered. “You ready for a discipline lesson?” Joker pulled out a blood-stained crowbar from behind his back.

Jason paled upon seeing it. “No,” he begged, frantically scooting up in his bed.

“Oh yes,” the Joker cackled. “You’ve been a very naughty slave. It appears you need to be taught a lesson.”

“No please,” Jason begged, shaking with terror. “I’ll be good, I swear.”

“That’s what you said last time,” Joker shook his head in disappointment. “It seems I need to change my tactics.” Joker then headed over to Dick.

“ _No_!” Jason screamed, jumping off the bed and rushing over to Dick. “I won’t let you hurt him.”

Joker cackled before swinging the crowbar to Dick’s face. Dick let out a cry of pain as he fell out of his bed. Joker pushed Jason away before dragging Dick into Jason’s line of sight. He then proceeded to beat Dick with the crowbar as Dick cried and begged for him to stop. Every time Jason would get near Dick, the Joker would smack him and push him away.

Eventually, Jason tackled Joker to the ground and began to hit him with his fists. “You won’t hurt him ever again!” he screamed as his fists came down onto Joker’s still grinning face.

Joker then flipped them over and started choking Jason. The Joker seemed to be stronger than Jason remembered. “I will beat him and beat him until I break him and you,” the Joker grinned.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos ensues as both Damian and Jason are infected by Scarecrow's fear toxin. Bruce learns a bit about Tim's abusive parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Just wanted to say thanks for the comments and kudos I've been receiving. I really appreciate it!

**Dick’s POV**

Jason started hallucinating soon after Damian did. Damian was still clutching Tim tight enough to where Tim was beginning to have another panic attack. Bruce was struggling to calm Damian down as he inched closer to them. Alfred was already inserting some medication into Wally before he headed behind Bruce. There was so much chaos going on that Dick found his chest tightening with panic.

Damian suddenly jumped out of his bed and carried Tim over to Dick’s bed. He placed Tim on top of Dick before suddenly turning his attention to Jason. “Stay together,” he threw over his shoulder at Tim and Dick before he got into a fighting stance as Jason began to run toward him.

“I won’t let you hurt him,” Jason suddenly shouted as he ran into Damian.

Damian pushed him away before defending Dick and Tim against Bruce. “I will not allow you two to take them away from me,” he screamed frantically.

“Stand down,” Bruce demanded, blocking a blow to his face and grabbing Damian’s wrist.

“No,” Damian growled. “I will not.”

Damian jumped over Dick and Tim as Jason headed over to them again. Jason suddenly tackled Damian to the floor and began to punch him. “You won’t hurt him ever again!” Jason screamed as his fists came down onto Damian’s face.

“Stop it!” Dick suddenly screamed as he stood from the bed.

Damian then flipped them over and started choking Jason. “You are the one who is harming them,” he snapped, blood dripping out of his nose.

Two other soldiers suddenly appeared. One was that Clark guy and another a red head that Dick didn’t recognize. The red head went over to Dick and gently pushed him back in his bed. “There’s nothing you can do for them right now,” he whispered softly, his eyes darting to Tim. “Try to help your other brother. We got this.”

Dick looked behind the red head to see Clark and Bruce pulling Jason and Damian away from each other. Each large man had the younger ones in headlocks, keeping them still while Alfred injected them with the antidote. Almost immediately, each boy slumped in the larger men’s holds.

“Why did they faint?” Dick asked, turning to pull Tim to his chest.

“The medication I gave them has a bit of a sedative in it,” Alfred explained as he disposed of the needles he had used. “Otherwise, they would have continued to fight each other or anyone else they believe to be a threat. The medication doesn’t take effect right away. They will have nightmares. But it will wear off by tomorrow, I’m sure.”

“So they’ll be okay?” Tim’s soft voice asked from Dick’s chest.

“Yes, they will be alright,” Alfred nodded.

“Well, that was a bit insane,” the red head chuckled, watching as Clark placed Damian in a bed and Bruce placed Jason into another. The red head then turned to Tim and Dick and stuck out his hand. “Hi, I’m Roy. I don’t believe we’ve properly met.”

Dick smiled weakly and took the offered hand. “Hi, I’m Dick,” he said back, “And this is my brother Tim.”

“Oh, Tim and I have already met,” Roy winked. “I was with Connor when he showed Tim the greenhouse for the first time.”

“And Connor is…?”

“My son,” Clark smiled as he turned toward Dick. “He’s the one with the black hair and blue eyes like mine.”

“Oh right,” Dick nodded. “I saw him just earlier today. Didn’t you bump into him, Tim?”

“Yeah,” Tim agreed before he buried his face into Dick’s chest.

Dick slightly tightened his arms around the smaller boy, pausing when he felt Tim wince. “Tim? Did Damian hurt you?”

“A bit,” Tim admitted timidly. “But I’ll be okay.”

“Mind if I take a look, Young Sir?” Alfred spoke up. “We don’t want any bruised ribs being jostled if you do not take proper care.”

Dick felt Tim shake his head. “It’s alright Tim,” Dick whispered. “He won’t harm you. I’ll be by your side the whole time. I don’t want you to have any injuries that we don’t know about.”

**Tim’s POV**

Tim stiffened a bit before relaxing and letting out a sigh of resignation. “Alright,” he whispered, carefully pulling away from Dick and sitting on the edge of the bed so Alfred could reach him.

“If you could please take off your shirt,” Alfred instructed as he brought a chair to the bed and sat down on it.

Tim hesitated, glancing around the room at Bruce, Clark, and Roy. His gaze then went to Dick, who was giving him and encouraging smile. Tim took a deep breath before he pulled his long-sleeved shirt off. He blushed as he heard a couple gasps once his upper half was bare. He knew he had scars on his back and torso from his dad’s belt.

“Oh my,” Alfred said softly. “Well, let’s take a look.”

“Who did that to you?” Bruce’s voice was low and dangerous.

“My dad,” Tim whispered, wincing as Alfred gently prodded his left ribcage.

“Jack Drake?” Bruce asked.

Tim only nodded.

Silence filled the room as Alfred tutted a bit at the bruises forming along Tim’s waist. “Well, there doesn’t seem to be too much damage,” he finally supplied. “Just a couple bruised ribs. Nothing a little rest won’t cure.”

“Thank you,” Tim whispered before he pulled his shirt back on and crawled back into Dick’s bed. Dick wrapped a protective arm around him as he cuddled into Dick’s side and buried his face in the crook of Dick’s neck. Tim inhaled Dick’s comforting, familiar scent and closed his eyes, trying to shut out the stares he knew he was still receiving from everyone else in the room. After the day’s stressful events, it didn’t take Tim long to slip into a fitful sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason has a dream about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a filler chapter so it's pretty short. Also, there's implied rape.

**Jason’s POV**

_Jason winced as a whip came down on his back. He had defiled his “master” again and was receiving the usual punishment for it. But he had begun to grow numb from the loss of flesh on his back. His mind traveled to his mother, whom Joker had murdered in order to capture Jason at a young age. He missed her greatly and wished he could’ve saved her instead of having to watch her die right before his young eyes._

_Right now, he was going through training to be a pleasure slave as well as a labor one once he was older and had more muscle. Joker saw potential in him as a labor slave, but he wanted to go ahead and sell Jason for cash. So, he was training him as a pleasure slave for the time being._

_“Pay attention, slave,” the man whipping him snapped, throwing Jason onto his bleeding back and drawing a cry from him. “Good, very good. Masters love it when you scream, so scream as much as possible.”_

_“Fuck you,” Jason bit out through clenched teeth._

_“Well, that’s the idea,” the large man chuckled as he gripped the boy’s left wrist and started dragging him to a bed in the room._

_“No,” Jason pleaded softly._

“No!” Jason gasped as he quickly sat up. He glanced around and saw that he was in the infirmary. He seemed to be the only one there besides Damian, who was fast asleep in the bed on the other side of the room. Jason allowed himself a brief moment of weakness as he placed his face in his hands and took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Jason?” a small voice piped up softly, startling Jason out of his own mind. “You okay?”

Jason glanced up to see Dick looking at him with concerned blue eyes. His eyes were no longer swollen but they were green and yellow from the bruises he had received from his attack a week ago. He also seemed to be walking better, which pleased Jason greatly for it meant he was in less pain. “I’m alright,” he nodded.

“You sure?” Dick asked as he walked toward Jason’s bed. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jason continued. “Just had a nightmare.”

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?” Dick questioned, sitting on the side of Damian’s bed and glancing down at him before turning his attention back to Jason.

“There was an attack on the manor,” Jason answered. “Wait…yesterday?”

“Yeah,” Dick nodded. “You, Wally, and Damian were poisoned by Joker’s blade.”

“Yeah, I remember that,” Jason said. “But Alfred gave us an antidote.”

“Well, he had an accomplice,” Dick sighed. “I don’t know much about him. His name is Scarecrow.”

“Oh shit,” Jason face palmed. “I don’t remember much except fear. What did I do?”

“You and Damian attacked each other,” Dick chuckled a bit. “He now has a broken nose.”

“Oh man, I’m sorry,” Jason sighed, glaring down at his lap. “Don’t pay attention to anything I said or did. It was exaggerated by Scarecrow’s venom.”

“If you say so,” Dick shrugged before standing and stretching. “I’ll go tell Alfred you’re awake. He’s been dying to feed you.”

Jason chuckled fondly. “Yeah, that sounds like him,” he answered. “Hey,” he called out before Dick left. Dick turned to face him with an eyebrow raised. “Where’s Tim?”

“He’s in our new room,” Dick beamed as he walked over and plopped down onto Jason’s bed. “It’s huge and has a great view of the greenhouse.”

“That’s great,” Jason smiled. “The greenhouse is nice, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Dick gushed with a grin. “There are so many trees. Pine trees were my favorite. I loved the smell of them.”

“Yeah, Bruce has a few,” Jason nodded.

“I know,” Dick beamed. “It’s so great. I haven’t seen a proper one in a decade. They’re so beautiful.”

“Yes, they are,” Jason smiled. “Well, go tell Alfred that I’m expecting a feast.”

Dick giggled and hid his smile behind a hand cutely. “Will do,” he said cheerfully before he turned and headed up the stairs.

Jason sighed as he felt his heart flutter. Man, Dick was so fine, and adorable too. He had to figure out a way to control his feelings so he could concentrate on his training.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Jason teach Damian some fighting moves. This chapter is set a few months after the attack on Wayne Manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another short chapter but I hope you enjoy anyway!

**Damian’s POV**

Damian huffed as he stood back to regain his thoughts. Bruce was making this training session difficult. He heaved a sigh before going at Bruce again. Bruce dodged his move and flipped him so that he hit the floor. Damian let out a growl of annoyance as Bruce pinned him and waited for Damian to give up. Damian squirmed and grappled at Bruce’s large arms, but he couldn’t get free. He finally went limp and tapped his palm on the mat three times, signaling that he was done. Bruce let him go and stood to his full height before helping Damian to his feet.

“You’re getting better,” Bruce complimented.

“Tt,” Damian huffed as he rotated his left shoulder a bit. “Am not.”

“Yes, you are,” Bruce disagreed. “Your stances are more correct than they’ve ever been.”

“But you keep defeating me,” Damian growled.

“Well, I’ve had years of training,” Bruce chuckled in reply. “You are just starting out. It’s to be expected.”

“Whatever,” Damian rolled his eyes. “I will defeat you one day.”

“Jason,” Bruce called as Todd, Richard, and Timothy walked into the room. “Care to give Damian a demonstration?”

“Sure,” Todd grinned, turning to give Richard a wink before he bounded up to the mats. Damian rolled his eyes. It was obvious that Todd was attracted to Richard, but Richard was so dense that he did not realize it. Damian stepped aside as Todd got into a fighting stance. “You sure you wanna do this, old man?” he chuckled as the two circled each other.

“Oh I’m sure,” Bruce winked before he attacked Todd.

Damian let out a huff of annoyance as he watched the two. Todd was blocking all of Bruce’s moves and even managed to smack Bruce across the face once before Bruce punched him in the gut and flipped him. Instead of landing on his back, Todd flipped into the throw and landed on his feet, gripping Bruce around the waist and turning, throwing Bruce into the mats. He then pulled Bruce into a strong headlock, using his legs to keep Bruce’s torso still. Bruce seemed to struggle a bit before he gave in and tapped the mat.

Todd grinned and helped Bruce to his feet, who gave Todd a pat on the shoulder. “See, Damian?” he said, turning to his son. “That is how you counteract a throw. You use the momentum to your advantage.”

“Tt,” Damian crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe Todd should be teaching me if he was able to defeat you.”

Damian was surprised when Bruce let out a chuckle. “He’s been practicing along with me for years,” he replied, turning to give Todd a proud smile. “As soon as I adopted him, he begged to learn how to defend himself.”

“How old were you?” Richard piped up from the edge of the mats.

“I was twelve when Bruce saved me,” Todd smiled. “It was a couple years after the apocalypse.”

“So, you’re younger than Dick,” Timothy supplied.

“Just by a few months,” Richard grinned down at Timothy.

“Five to be exact,” Todd chuckled. “I was born August 16th.”

“Wow, that’s close to my birthday!” Timothy exclaimed. “I was born July 19th.”

Damian let out another annoyed huff, causing everyone’s attention to turn to him. “What?” he snapped.

“Well, we were just curious why you weren’t chiming in,” Todd scratched the back of his neck.

“I…I do not know when I was born,” Damian turned away at Timothy and Richard’s sad looks.

“You told us you were born in October,” Timothy’s quiet, sad voice spoke.

“Well I lied,” Damian snapped, sticking his nose up in the air. “Birthdays do not matter to me anyway.”

Bruce suddenly cleared his throat, but Damian ignored him. “I may not know the exact day you were born,” his deep voice began. “But I do know the month. You were born in September on the third week.”

“Why don’t we say it’s on the 20th?” Richard suddenly asked. “It would be between Tim’s and my birthday days.”

“Does not matter to me,” Damian shrugged, still refusing to look at anyone.

“Then it’s settled,” Damian could just hear the smile in Timothy’s voice. He turned to grab at the hand that was about to land on his shoulder but paused when he saw it was Timothy’s.

“You’re still sixteen, though, right?” Timothy asked.

“Yes, he is,” Bruce replied.

Timothy nodded before giving Damian a soft smile. “Why don’t we grab something to drink? I’m sure you’re thirsty after your hour session with Bruce.”

All Damian could do was nod, getting lost in Timothy’s bright blue eyes. His eyes shifted when he saw Timothy’s lips break out into a big, happy smile. Timothy then turned, gripping onto Damian’s arm and pulling on him to follow. Damian let out a sigh of contentment before allowing Timothy to drag him out of the gym and toward the kitchen where Alfred was sure to be preparing for lunch.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Dick have a father/son type moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm uploading two chapters today. Hope you enjoy!

**Dick’s POV**

Dick was about to join his brothers when he heard a huff of a laugh coming from the mats. He turned to see Bruce ruffling Jason’s black hair with a proud smile on his face.

“You did good today,” he replied, suddenly pulling Jason into a headlock and giving him a noogie.

Jason began to laugh as he struggled to get out of Bruce’s hold. Dick couldn’t help but watch with a bit of jealousy. The last time he ever had someone look at him that way was when his parents were still alive. Sure, his brothers looked upon him with pride on occasion, but it wasn’t the same as a father looking at his son with pride.

Dick was about to turn to leave when he heard more shuffling then a loud smack on the mat. He turned again to see Bruce on the ground with Jason laughing above him. Bruce was looking up at Jason with a pout that just made Jason laugh louder. Dick couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle of his own, blushing when two sets of eyes turned toward him.

Bruce got to his feet before giving Jason a look Dick didn’t recognize. Jason nodded before turning to leave. As Dick was following, Bruce’s large hand landed on his small shoulder. Bruce turned Dick around and looked into his blue eyes. “Why did you run after your parents were murdered?” he asked softly. “You knew I was looking to adopt you.”

Dick blinked back tears before he pushed away from Bruce and turned to wipe his nose. “No reason,” he whispered.

“Dick, please tell me,” Bruce’s plea was soft and understanding.

Dick heaved a big, sad sigh before staring down at his feet. “I was scared,” he admitted. “My parents had just died right before my eyes. I wasn’t thinking clearly. The thought of a bachelor billionaire adopting me scared me a bit.”

“You would’ve been safer with me than on the streets,” Bruce’s deep voice was still soft.

Dick inhaled shakily. “I know that now,” he whispered. “But not then. I was naïve about what it was like living on the streets. Growing up around people who did nothing but love me, I didn’t realize how good I had it compared to kids who were homeless. I just didn’t want anything to do with an orphanage or foster home. I didn’t want people to keep giving me these pitying looks. I figured you wanted to adopt me out of pity, nothing more.”

“Well, you were wrong,” Dick could hear Bruce shift a bit before he felt a hand on his shoulder again. Dick allowed Bruce to turn him to face him again. “My parents were killed when I was young too. It wasn’t pity I was feeling; it was understanding.”

Dick looked into Bruce’s eyes before struggling to blink away his tears again. “How did they die?” he asked.

“They were murdered, like yours,” Bruce sighed. “We were coming out of a theater and some men shot them right in front of me. If I didn’t have Alfred, I don’t know what state I’d be in today. I was lucky. You, however, had no one to raise you. You raised yourself.”

Dick could feel his lip quivering, so he bit it. His vision was becoming blurry with tears that he just couldn’t hold back anymore.

“You were all alone when the apocalypse happened,” Bruce continued, slowly wiping a tear from Dick’s right cheek. “You had to figure out what was going on and how to take care of yourself along with Tim Drake, whom you found not long afterward. You had to defend both yourself and him against robbers, rapists, and murderers. Then Damian came along, and more weight was placed on your shoulders. I bet you haven’t once thought of yourself since the apocalypse. I bet you’ve been putting Tim and Damian’s lives before your own this whole time.” Dick let out a sob, but Bruce still continued. “Your brothers do look after you now, but it’s not the same. You want an adult, someone older than you, to take some of those burdens off your shoulders. For once, you need to look after yourself. So, I’m here for you. Any time you need someone to take care of you or lift a burden off your shoulders, let me know because that’s what I’m here for. You don’t have to worry any longer. You and your brothers are now safe.”

Dick finally couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. All of the events of the past decade had finally caught up to him and he sobbed. He cried and cried while Bruce held him. He cried for his parents. He cried for Tim whose parents never loved him. He cried for Damian whose mother was always plotting something against him. He cried for every unwanted touch both he and Tim had ever received. But, most importantly, he finally cried for himself. He cried and cried until his throat was sore and his tears dried. He cried until he could barely keep himself upright. And still, Bruce held and comforted him until Dick slumped against him, exhausted.

Bruce finally pulled back and wiped at the drying tear tracks on Dick’s face. Dick let out a surprised sound when Bruce suddenly picked him up and began to carry him out of the gym. When Dick looked up at Bruce questioningly, Bruce replied, “The guys will be coming in soon to exercise. I didn’t think you’d want most of my soldiers seeing you like this.”

All Dick could do was nod in agreement before he rested his cheek on Bruce’s broad chest. He could feel his eyelids closing, but struggled to keep them open until he figured out where Bruce was taking him. He felt Bruce pause as a savory scent filled his nostrils. “Alfred, could you bring Dick’s dinner up to him tonight?” he questioned. “I don’t think he’ll be awake for dinner.”

“Certainly, Master Bruce,” Alfred’s smooth voice said. “I’ll bring him some comforting hot chocolate as well.”

“Thanks,” Bruce answered before he began to move again.

Bruce carried Dick up the stairs and down the hall. Once Dick realized where they were going, he allowed his eyes to slip shut.

“What did you do to him?” he heard Damian’s hard voice hiss before he felt Damian’s familiar hand on his forehead.

Bruce seemed to transfer Dick into Damian’s arms and Dick curled up in the familiar hold of his little brother.

“Nothing,” Bruce replied smoothly. “He was just letting all of his emotions out. I merely helped that along.”

“Thank you,” Tim’s small voice spoke up. “He would never do that for us. It was long overdue.”

“Of course,” Bruce said. “Alfred will be bringing up his dinner in a couple hours. Make sure he gets some rest.”

And with that, Dick heard Bruce’s footsteps leave the room. He felt Damian shuffle a bit before he was placed in a bed.

“Think we can all fit?” Tim suddenly asked from in front of Dick.

“We can certainly try,” Damian replied softly before he scooted behind Dick and wrapped a muscular arm around his waist.

Dick lifted his chin automatically as he felt Tim slide in beside him. He then felt Tim tuck his head under Dick’s chin with a sigh before Tim curled up next to Dick. Both Tim and Dick let out a sigh of contentment once Tim was settled.

“Sleep,” Damian spoke softly. “I shall wake you when your dinner has arrived.

Dick gave a small nod in reply before he finally allowed the sleep to pull him under.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason helps Alfred in the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter of the day. I hope you guys like it.

**Jason’s POV**

Jason drummed his hands on the counter as he watched Alfred cook. He had seen Bruce take Dick up to his room and was wondering what had caused Dick to look so tired. He wanted to ask Alfred but couldn’t get up enough courage. He let out a sigh, causing Alfred to pause. “Master Jason,” he sighed as well. “If you insist on being in here, you might as well help me chop some vegetables.”

“Alright,” Jason agreed, standing from his place at the bar and heading over to the wooden cutting board next to Alfred. Alfred gave him some carrots and celery to chop as Jason reached for a knife. “Hey Alfred?”

“Yes?” Alfred replied, pouring some vegetable broth into a big pot.

“Do you know what Bruce said to Dick to cause him to cry like that?” Jason asked casually, beginning to chop the celery first.

“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Alfred replied smoothly. “But if you are so curious about it, why don’t you ask Master Bruce or Master Dick?”

Jason didn’t reply at first, focusing more on chopping the celery. “Well, I guess I could ask Dick when he wakes up,” he finally replied. “But I know what Bruce would say if I asked him.”

“That it is none of your business?” Alfred asked with a smirk in his voice.

“Exactly,” Jason laughed. “But I want to help. I feel…protective over Dick and his brothers. I want to help them as much as I can.”

“Well, it may help to know that Master Damian does not eat meat,” Alfred supplied. “This is why I am using vegetable broth over chicken. You can get enough nutrients with vegetable soup as you can with chicken soup. It just depends what vegetables you add to it. I will be cooking some chicken on the side for the rest of you if you wish to put it in the soup, but I feel that Master Damian needs some encouragement. I feel that cooking him vegetable based foods will help with that.”

“I see,” Jason said thoughtfully. “Maybe I should send him to the barn where the livestock and dairy cows are. Maybe he’d like to see the animals.”

“Maybe,” Alfred agreed, “But be careful. If he gets too attached to an animal we must slaughter, it will not end well.”

“True,” Jason nodded. “Then I’ll show him the dairy cows and chickens.”

“Very well, Young Sir,” Alfred replied. “Please add the celery to the soup when you are done.”

Jason nodded in reply and finished up cutting the bunch of celery before placing them in the pot. He then went to chopping the large carrots Alfred had given him. They were silent as they focused on their tasks. Eventually, Jason turned upon hearing a yawn. The small Timothy Drake was at the kitchen door rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He blushed slightly upon seeing both Alfred and Jason staring at him.

“I was wondering if I could have something to drink,” he spoke sheepishly, glancing down at his feet.

“Of course, Young Sir,” Alfred always spoke smoothly, it seemed. “Please help yourself to anything in the fridge. I have some freshly squeezed orange juice in there if you wish to have it.”

“Thank you,” Tim smiled before heading to the fridge.

Jason went back to cutting the carrots before finally deciding to clear his throat. “How’s Dick?” he asked as he continued to chop.

“He’s sleeping,” Tim replied as he grabbed the pitcher of orange juice. “But he seems to be okay.”

“Good,” Jason sighed with relief. He was about to say something else when he glanced up and saw Connor enter. A faint blush appeared on Tim’s cheeks. _That’s interesting_ , Jason thought with a slight grin. _I thought he was interested in Damian._

Connor headed to the fridge and Tim scurried out of his way, his eyes downcast. “Hey,” Connor spoke with a lazy grin.

“Hi,” Tim squeaked.

Jason hid a chuckle behind his hand. This was most interesting indeed.  “Hey Connor,” he said.

“Yeah?” Connor turned to Jason with an eyebrow raised.

“Why don’t you show Tim the dogs’ room?” Jason asked with a grin. “It’s kinda out of the way and I bet he hasn’t seen it yet.”

“Oh that’s okay,” Tim spoke up. “I should be getting back.”

“That Damian kid sure has a tight leash on you,” Connor said casually as he grabbed the water pitcher out of the fridge.

“He does it because he cares,” Tim spat out before he blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s alright,” Connor still had a lazy smile on his face. “I’m sure you three have been through a lot so I understand that you’re protective of each other.”

“Oh,” Tim seemed surprised. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Would you like a snack before dinner, Master Tim?” Alfred asked from the stove. “It won’t be ready for another hour.”

“No, I’m fine,” Tim smiled gratefully at Alfred. “Thank you, though.”

“You’re most welcome,” Alfred replied.

“Well, I’ll see you at dinner, Jason,” Tim smiled cutely at Jason before he turned to leave.

“Okay, bye,” Jason smiled at Tim’s retreating back.

Once Tim had been gone for a few minutes, Connor spoke up. “That kid is adorable,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, he is,” Jason agreed. “He’s very sweet too, right Alfred?”

“Most definitely,” Alfred nodded. “A very selfless person.”

“That’s a good quality to have these days,” Connor said, grabbing a glass and pouring some water into it.

“Yeah, it is,” Jason agreed. “Most of the guys in this town are selfish bastards. I’m sure Tim has met a few.”

“Probably,” Connor sighed. “The men in this town make me sick. I mean, look what they did to Dick.”

“Yeah, that could’ve been Tim,” Jason nodded, a tinge of sadness in his voice. “Tim’s so tiny too, much smaller than Dick. If those bastards had gotten them…”

Connor suddenly slammed his glass on the bar. “Those bastards got what they deserved,” he suddenly snapped. “No man should touch anyone without consent. It’s disgusting.”

“Most agreeable,” Alfred piped up.

“Some of the women here aren’t much better,” Jason pointed out. “It’s not just men.”

“True,” Connor sighed heavily. “Selfish people all over this town. Why does Bruce intend to keep them all safe?”

“Well, not everyone is like that,” Jason replied.

“But most of them are,” Connor bit out.

“Yeah,” Jason agreed with a sigh.

“Does Dick not know how to defend himself?” Connor suddenly asked. “I mean, he’s been taking care of Tim and Damian for years. Surely he has some form of training.”

“I believe he is self-taught,” Alfred spoke up. “He was very acrobatic from his Flying Grayson days. I believe he used that to his advantage.”

“Damian seemed to know how to fight too,” Jason said. “Even before Bruce started training him. He told me he was self-taught.”

“I guess you have to be in this world,” Connor spoke softly now.

“Yeah,” Jason sighed.

“Well, a bunch of the soldiers are gonna go into town for some supplies later,” Connor suddenly said. “You wanna join us?”

Jason pondered for a bit before shaking his head. “Nah,” he said. “I think I’ll stay here.”

“And take care of your boyfriend,” Connor smirked.

“What? No,” Jason sputtered. “I just want to practice with my batarangs a bit.”

“If you say so,” Connor chuckled before he left the room.

“Why does everybody keep thinking I like Dick?” Jason huffed in annoyance. “I just want to protect him, especially after what happened to him.”

“It is most understanding why you wish to be protective,” Alfred agreed.

“Exactly,” Jason rolled his eyes. “He’s been through so much. Plus, he’s had to take care of two other people. I just want him to be protected in return.”

“His brothers seem to protect him,” Alfred supplied. “Especially Young Master Damian.”

“But Damian is his brother,” Jason huffed. “It’s different.”

“If you say so, Young Sir,” Alfred said.

Jason grumbled to himself a bit as he put the carrots into the soup. “I’m gonna go practice,” he finally growled, turning to leave the room.

“Thank you for your help, Master Jason,” Alfred spoke after him.

“You’re welcome,” Jason called over his shoulder.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some brother fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda a filler chapter but I hope you guys like it anyway. Thank you for the comments and kudos! I really appreciate it.

**Damian’s POV**

Timothy seemed a bit flustered after he came back into the room. His face was flushed, and he was fumbling with the glass in his hand. Damian tilted his head to the side when he saw the orange contents. “What is that?” he asked.

Timothy seemed to glance down at his glass before replying. “It’s orange juice,” he suddenly beamed. “It’s really delicious. Do you want a sip?”

Damian thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. “Sure,” he said.

Timothy handed the glass over to Damian. Their hands brushed gently, causing Damian’s face to blush a bit. He quickly took a sip before handing the glass back. “It is delicious,” he agreed. “Pennyworth sure knows how to create delicious things.”

“Yeah, he does,” Timothy smiled.

Both boys turned at hearing Richard’s small sigh. He appeared to be smiling in his sleep, reaching out for one of his brothers. Timothy let out a small sigh of his own before he crawled back in bed with Richard and allowed Richard to wrap him in his arms. Timothy immediately tucked his head under Richard’s chin like he always did and gently fisted Richard’s black shirt. “You know, I actually like being the smallest,” Damian heard Timothy sigh happily.

“Oh yeah?” Damian chuckled from his spot on his own bed. “And why is that?”

“Because I can fit in Dick’s arms perfectly,” Timothy grinned. “It makes me feel safe.”

Damian couldn’t help but chuckle at the cuteness. “I see,” he replied, suddenly deciding to grab his new sketchbook and pencils.

“I bet you felt the same way when you were younger,” Timothy assumed. “You never objected too much when Dick wrapped you up in his arms as a child.”

“That is only because I did not wish to upset him,” Damian huffed, nose stuck up in the air. “That is all.”

“Okay, sure,” Timothy replied sarcastically. Damian could tell Timothy was rolling his eyes.

“It is true,” he sniffed, all dignified as he began to sketch his brothers.

“If you say so,” Timothy chuckled, amused. “Where did you get that sketchbook?”

“It was a gift from Father,” Damian replied. “For completing one level of my training.”

“Oh okay,” Timothy suddenly paused. “Wait, when did you start calling Bruce your father?”

“Since now,” Damian shrugged, causing Timothy to laugh.

“I see,” he replied with a chuckle. “And what brought this on?”

“I am not sure,” Damian sighed. “I believe the man is noble deep down. He is training me and keeping the three of us safe after all.”

“True,” Timothy agreed.

“Will you two shut up?” Richard’s tired voice suddenly joined. “I’m trying to sleep.”

“Sorry,” both Timothy and Damian replied simultaneously.

“It’s okay,” Richard removed his arms from around Timothy, so he could stretch.

Suddenly, there was a knock on their door. “Can I come in?” it was Todd’s voice.

“Sure,” Richard replied as he sat up in the bed.

The heavy wooden door suddenly opened and Todd entered. “Alfred said dinner was ready,” he piped up with an easy smile. “Care to join us, Dick?”

“I don’t see why not since I’m awake now,” Richard yawned. “Just let me freshen up and we’ll be down shortly.”

“Okay,” Todd grinned cheerfully. “See you guys then.” And with that, Todd turned and left, closing the door behind him.

All three boys stared after him for a bit before Timothy turned to his brothers. “Does anyone else think he’s really cheerful today?”

“Yeah,” Richard nodded.

“I agree,” Damian said at the same time.

“Okay, then I’m not going crazy,” Timothy chuckled nervously.

“Well,” Richard swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Let me wash my face, then we can head down.”

Both Damian and Timothy nodded in reply, watching as Richard left for the bathroom. He seemed to have a bit of a swing in his step that Damian hadn’t noticed before. He turned to Timothy, who had a knowing grin on his face. “Why does Richard seem to be happier than usual?”

Timothy turned to Damian with a grin. “Maybe that talk with Bruce cheered him up.” Then his grin turned into a smirk, “Or maybe it was because a certain someone came up to our room.”

“A certain someone…oh, you mean Todd?” Damian figured out, lifting an eyebrow in thought.

“Yeah,” Timothy nodded with a cute giggle. “There’s definitely some chemistry going on between them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got together soon.”

“I will not allow it,” Damian huffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Timothy tilted his head to the side. “And why not?” he asked.

“Todd is not worth of Richard’s love,” Damian supplied evenly.

“Why not?” Timothy asked with an eyebrow raised. “He’s saved Dick’s life twice and mine once. He seems to genuinely care about him. He also seems to be a nice guy with a good head on his shoulders. Why wouldn’t he be good for Dick?”

“Because I said so,” Damian huffed.

Timothy began to laugh, causing Damian to pause and look at him questioningly. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Timothy laughed. “I just think you’re funny.”

“And why is that?” Damian was beginning to feel defensive.

“Well, it’s obvious you’re scared that Dick won’t give you enough attention if he’s in a relationship,” Timothy said with a grin.

“Am not,” Damian exclaimed, horrified.

“Oh please,” Timothy doubled over in laughter.

“Shut up,” Damian snapped, face burning.

Timothy finally managed to catch his breath and straightened up just as they heard a flush in the bathroom. “I know he’s your favorite,” Timothy suddenly whispered. “He’s like your father and brother. You care about him a lot. Not to mention that you were used to half of his attention as a child. But people change, relationships change, and Dick deserves to be happy with someone. Sure, we’ll be sharing his attention, but knowing Dick, he will make sure to give us plenty. There’s no need to worry.”

“I am not worried,” Damian huffed, pausing as Richard exited the bathroom.

“You guys ready?” he asked with a lazy smile.

“Yes,” Damian snapped, grabbing Richard’s wrist and leading him out of the room, Timothy’s laughter echoing off the walls.

“What’s so funny?” Richard asked.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's dinner and Dick learns about a secret Tim has been keeping.

**Dick’s POV**

Dick was surprised when Damian sat next to Bruce at the table. Tim sat next to Damian and Dick sat next to Tim. He also blinked in surprise when Jason and Connor joined them at their end of the table. Usually, the soldiers all ate at the opposite end. Dick guessed that Connor had wanted to sit next to his father, who always sat to Bruce’s right, but he couldn’t figure out why Jason was there. Jason looked up and gave Dick a warm smile, causing Dick’s heart to accelerate. He felt Tim shift beside him and glanced at his brother. Tim was staring down at his empty bowl, blushing.

“Tim, you okay?” Dick asked, a bit bemused by his brother’s behavior.

Tim glanced over at Dick with a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he mumbled.

“Alright everyone, dinner is served,” Alfred spoke as he entered the room with a wheeling cart full of pots. He placed a large pot on their side of the table, along with a plate of grilled chicken. “It would interest Master Damian to know that there were no animals harmed in the making of this soup. Everyone else may add the chicken to their soup if they wish.” He then wheeled the cart to the soldiers’ side, where he placed a different pot of soup and more grilled chicken.

“Thank you, Pennyworth,” Damian piped up before he grabbed a ladle and dipped it into their large pot.

“You are most welcome, Young Sir,” Alfred replied before he left the room with the empty cart.

“Wow, that was really nice of him,” Tim spoke softly.

“I think Alfred has a soft spot for you, Damian,” Jason grinned from across the table.

“Does he not for you as well?” Damian questioned.

“Of course he does,” Jason puffed out his chest. “I was the first person Bruce ever took in before the apocalypse. So, basically, I’m like his grandson. He’s even taught me how to cook in case I’m ever alone.”

“Then being a favorite is appealing,” Damian nodded, seemingly satisfied with Jason’s answer.

“Yes, it is,” Jason chuckled before he took the ladle from Damian and got himself some soup. “So, Damian, I was wondering if you’d like to see our animals after dinner. Tim and Dick can come too. We have a room for our domestic animals and the barn for our other ones.”

“Ooh, I wanna see the dogs,” Tim piped up excitedly. “I’ve always wanted one.”

“Very well,” Damian agreed. “We can see the animals.”

“Can I join you?” Connor suddenly spoke up.

“Me too,” Wally suddenly shouted across the other end of the table.

“Wally, what have I told you about shouting at the table?” Bruce reprimanded with a chuckle.

Wally had the decency to blush. “Sorry Bruce,” he mumbled.

“Well, you wanna join us too, Roy?” Jason rolled his eyes. “Might as well make it a soldier event.”

“Nah you guys go ahead,” Roy chuckled from his spot next to Wally. “A bunch of the guys and I were gonna go into town anyway. Connor being one of them.” He suddenly sent a glare at the raven-haired teen.

“What?” Connor defended. “I like animals more than I like heading to a pub.”

“Fine,” Roy sighed before he turned to a soldier Dick had never seen before and began talking to him.

“Wow, what a diva,” Jason rolled his eyes.

“Jason, you’re as much of a diva as he is,” Connor chuckled. “He is your best friend, after all.”

“Yeah,” Jason sighed, a ghost of a smile on his face.

Tim shifted again, and Dick looked to him. Tim kept glancing at Connor when the other male wasn’t looking. He also noticed Connor do the same to Tim. Dick found that very interesting for he knew that Damian was beginning to develop feelings for Tim. Apparently the feelings weren’t returned.

“Hey Tim,” Dick suddenly decided to speak up. “Did you ever find the library?”

“No,” Tim deflated beside him. “I looked everywhere, and everyone else was busy training and cleaning up after the attack, so I couldn’t ask.”

“I’ll bet Connor knows where it is,” Dick said with a grin as he gave Connor a wink. “Why don’t you show him after dinner? Then you two can catch up with us later to see the animals.”

“Yeah, we can go see the barn animals first,” Jason agreed, seeming to have picked up on what Dick was doing. “That way you won’t miss the dogs, Tim.”

Tim glanced back and forth between Dick and Jason before giving a hesitant nod. “Okay,” he agreed. “I do want to read a few books. I only have a few that you and Damian gave me for Christmas and my birthdays.”

“Yeah, they’re well loved,” Dick chuckled as he pictured the battered books Tim was speaking of.

Tim in question blushed shyly as Connor gave him a look Dick couldn’t specify. The look somewhat put Dick on edge and made him reconsider his plan. He turned to Damian and they met eyes, Damian giving him a slight nod. Dick would sneak after Tim and Connor while Damian occupied Wally and Jason.

The rest of dinner was relatively silent apart from Wally arguing with a blonde female soldier Dick never remembered seeing. He also noticed two other female soldiers; one had red hair and the other had raven hair. Dick blinked in surprise upon seeing them for he did not remember seeing any female soldiers before. He then leaned across the table to Jason and said, “Hey Jason, who are those female soldiers? I don’t remember seeing them before.”

“Oh,” Jason’s face broke out into a smile. “They do undercover work. They just got back from a mission. The blonde chick is Stephanie Brown, the red head is Barbara Gordon, and the black-haired girl is Cassandra Cain.”

“Cain seems young for a soldier,” Damian spoke quietly from Dick’s left.

“She’s fifteen,” Jason chuckled. “Just a year younger than you. Her father was an assassin who trained her to kill, but Bruce and Barbara are straightening her out. Barbara is her guardian of sorts.”

“How old is Barbara?” Dick asked.

“She’s twenty-two,” Jason supplied. “And Stephanie is nineteen.”

“What kind of undercover stuff do they do?” Tim piped up, seemingly very curious.

“That’s classified,” Bruce suddenly spoke from the head of the table.

Damian suddenly let out a groan of annoyance. “You say that about everything,” he complained.

“Well, when you become one of my soldiers, you’ll learn more,” Bruce said evenly, “But until then, things will be classified for you.”

“Fine,” Damian huffed, turning back to finish his soup.

Dick saw Tim roll his eyes and he let out a soft chuckle. Damian always seemed to say the same thing when he was annoyed.

Dick blinked when Connor suddenly stood. “Ready to go to the library, Tim?” he asked as he stretched. Dick saw Tim’s face redden as Connor’s shirt rode up and showed some of his stomach.

“Yes,” Tim squeaked a bit, standing clumsily and pushing his chair back into the table.

Dick heard Jason snort at Tim’s reaction. Connor, though, punched him in the shoulder before he led the way out of the dining room. Tim seemed to scurry after him. Dick quickly finished his own soup before mumbling a lame excuse and following after them, determined to keep Tim safe. Usually, it would be Damian doing the protecting, but he wasn’t as sneaky as Dick was. So, Dick slipped silently down the hall, watching as Tim turned a corner. He paused for a minute before turning the corner as well and slinking into the shadows. Connor and Tim then went up the grand staircase and Dick waited for them to be slightly out of his sight before he climbed the stairs too. There were many twists and turns that Dick had to take as he followed the two teens. The library seemed to be a bit out of the way which would explain why Tim never found it on his own.

Dick suddenly heard Tim gasp, causing his heart rate to pick up with worry. He peaked into a doorway and saw Tim looking around a large room full of books. The look of awe on Tim’s face made Dick’s break out into a smile.

“Wow, there are so many books,” Tim exclaimed, an excited grin on his face.

“Yeah,” Connor breathed out with his own grin. “This side over here is the fiction, and that one wall is all nonfiction. Take your pick.”

Tim seemed to jump with glee before he scurried over to a fiction bookcase. Dick continued to watch as Tim tried to reach for a shelf that was too high. Suddenly, Connor scooped Tim up and placed him on his shoulder. Tim let out a squeak of surprise, balancing himself before he reached for the book he had wanted. Tim really was tiny, and not just short. He was thin too which had Dick a little worried. Since when did Tim get so skinny?

Connor suddenly pulled Tim down and set him on the floor. His hands went to Tim’s hips before he pulled Tim in for a kiss. Dick held back a gasp of surprise. Tim seemed to open up as Connor began to make out with him. When they finally pulled back for air, Connor rested his forehead against Tim’s. “I still don’t see why we need to keep our relationship a secret,” he whispered, moving his hand to caress Tim’s soft cheek.

“You know Damian would kill you,” Tim chuckled in reply. “Besides, Dick is a bit overprotective as well. I don’t wanna hear that you were murdered in your sleep.”

“I’ll be fine,” Connor grinned. “I have more training than both Damian and Dick combined. You don’t need to worry.” Connor then slipped a hand up Tim’s sweater. “You look great, by the way. Eating less sure makes you look beautiful.”

Tim’s smile seemed to dim a bit as he nodded. “So, I look beautiful now?”

“Yes,” Connor seemed to growl, aroused. “Very beautiful.”

Dick then moved back so he could rest against the wall. He placed a hand over his heart in shock. Tim wasn’t eating because Connor thought he was too heavy? What the hell? It took all of Dick’s strength not to go bursting into the library and beating Connor up. He knew he wouldn’t win the fight though, so he turned and left the two to themselves, deciding to meet up with Damian, Jason, and Wally. He would tell Damian of his findings later. Hopefully Damian would be able to keep himself calm and not kill the guy. Still, Connor seemed to be trying to change Tim and Tim was going along with it. Dick sighed sadly. Tim never saw himself as perfect. He always seemed to be trying to do something to please others. Dick silently cursed his parents for making Tim think that way. He would definitely help Tim see that he was perfect just the way he was, and he would have Damian help him do it.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian sees the barn animals but witnesses something he feels is unforgivable. Bat-Cow makes an appearance!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It appears I got some harsh criticism about the KonTim pairing. Readers, I accept and welcome all criticism, but please read all of my tags before accusing me of things. There is a tag for KonTim for a reason and there is a tag for TimDami for a reason.
> 
> Also, this chapter is a bit gory so be prepared. I am vegetarian along with Damian so his feelings in this chapter reflect my own. 
> 
> So enjoy and please be aware of all my tags because they are there for a reason. Thank you :)

**Damian’s POV**

Damian followed silently as Todd led him and West out of the big French doors and to the opposite side of the manor. There, there was a huge metal barn where Damian could hear mooing and neighing. His heart rate picked up with his excitement as Todd opened the large doors. Inside, the animals were separated by breed. The horses were to the left while the cows were to the right. There was even a bull, probably there to impregnate the cows so they could produce milk.

“Well, here they are,” Damian heard the grin in Todd’s voice. He turned and saw Todd spread his arms out wide. “Here are all of our livestock.”

“Livestock?” Damian questioned with a head tilt.

Todd seemed to blush. “It means that these animals are used for our advantages.”

“You do not have the animals’ interests at heart then?” Damian asked, feeling his face turn into an angry scowl.

“We do,” Todd defended quickly. “But some of them are used as our meat.”

“That is barbaric,” Damian tutted, sticking his nose up in the air. “How do you sleep at night knowing that you raise animals to be slaughtered?”

“Look, it’s not my choice,” Todd sighed, his demeanor slumping a bit in defeat. “It’s Bruce’s. He’s the one who bought most of these animals.”

“I still find it disgusting,” Damian huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He turned as he saw a soldier pull out a sword and stalk up to one of the cows on the far right. His heart rate picked up upon seeing the man slice the cow’s throat. He gasped as he watched the cow crumple to the ground and bleed out. He rounded onto Todd with anger. “What is the meaning of this?” he shouted before he ran forward and pulled the sword away from the soldier.

“Bruce is having a dinner party this weekend,” the blonde soldier spoke with fear. “I was told to slaughter two cows.”

“No,” Damian growled as the soldier pulled out a long knife and made a swipe at a different cow. Damian gripped the soldier’s wrist and threw him over his shoulder, causing the man to drop his knife and land on his back. Damian grabbed the knife and rested the sword at the soldier’s throat. “Why don’t I slit your throat,” he bit out.  “Maybe you could take the cow’s place. How would that make you feel?”

The soldier was shaking in fear, his gray eyes wide. Damian suddenly found himself on his back and the sword out of his grasp. He looked up to see West standing over him with a disapproving look. “I don’t think Bruce would want you to do that,” West commented before he helped the soldier to his feet.

“What is the difference?” Damian snapped. “Both man and cow have heartbeats, brains, and blood yet the cow is the one to be slaughtered. How would you feel if someone slit your throat just so they could eat you?” Damian then walked over to the cow who the soldier had cut a bit. He tore part of his t-shirt off and tried to stop the bleeding on the cow’s side. “This cow will not be slaughtered,” he growled. I will take care of her.”

“Damian—”

“That’s alright,” Bruce spoke from the barn doorway. “You can keep that cow. Kaldur, don’t kill another cow. One is fine.”

“Yes sir,” the soldier nodded before he took his sword from West and left the barn.

Bruce then turned to Todd with an eyebrow raised. “Why did you take Damian to the barn on slaughter day?”

“Uh…” Todd blushed. “I forgot it was today.”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “Don’t do it again,” he sighed. “And don’t tell him when it is. We change it for a reason.” He then turned to Damian. “What’re you going to name her?”

“She will be Bat-Cow,” Damian nodded, satisfied with his answer.

All three males blinked at him. “Umm, why?” West asked.

“Father’s crest is a bat,” Damian explained. “Therefore, it is my crest too. I name her after my family.”

Damian saw Bruce’s lips curve upward slightly. “Very well,” he chuckled. “Jason, show him the dogs and cats. I will put Bat-Cow away from the slaughtered cows.”

Todd seemed to let out a stressful sigh before he turned to Damian. “Let’s go, drama queen,” he sighed before he and West headed out the door and back to the manor.

On their way back, Richard ran out to them. There was a smile on his face, but it seemed dimmer than his usual one. Damian instantly felt concerned. What would’ve caused a dim smile on Richard’s face? Richard seemed to blink in surprise upon seeing Damian. “Are you hurt?” worry filled his voice.

Damian was confused or a second before he followed Richard’s line of sight down to his hands. He had forgotten that his hands were bloody from helping Bat-Cow. “I am alright,” he replied as Todd handed him a wet rag. “This is not my blood.”

“Whose is it?” Richard still seemed concerned. “Did you get into a fight.”

“Sort of,” Todd chuckled from beside him.

Damian shot him a glare before replying, “I was saving a cow from being slaughtered.”

“A cow was slaughtered?” Richard’s expression turned sad.

“Yes, for a party,” Damian bit out. “They slit her throat right in front of me.”

Richard seemed to pale slightly before he leaned over and retched in the brown grass. Damian instantly rushed forward and placed a now clean hand on Richard’s back. “Are you alright?” he asked worriedly.

Richard nodded, seeming to gather his breath before replying, “I think I’m going vegetarian now. I had no idea how animals were killed for food. That’s just horrible.”

Damian nodded in agreement. “You do need your protein, though,” he added as he felt Richard’s shoulder blades poking out. “I suggest eggs and leafy greens as well as beans. Those all have plenty of protein in them.”

Richard just nodded in agreement, looking up as they all heard footsteps approaching. “Dick, are you okay?” it was Timothy and Kent. Timothy looked extremely worried as he gazed at Richard’s pale face and the vomit in the grass.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Richard replied softly. “Why don’t we go see the dogs?”

Damian watched as Timothy’s face instantly brightened. “Yes,” he exclaimed. “I want to see them.”

“Very well,” Todd spoke up. “Follow me.”

The five other males began to follow Todd back into the manor and toward the pet room. Damian noticed Richard giving Kent a few dark glares as they walked. Damian was a bit surprised seeing as Richard usually loved everyone. “Why are you glaring at Kent?” he whispered as they both fell farther back from the rest of the group.

“I’ll explain later,” Richard sighed sadly, turning his gaze to Timothy. “Now’s not a god time with everyone around us.”

“Very well,” Damian replied, placing a comforting hand on Richard’s back.

Richard turned to give Damian a soft smile, pausing as Todd opened a door. Instantly, there were barks and meows that greeted the group. Damian turned to see Timothy’s face light up in excitement as a large dog barreled into him and knocked him on his back. Richard gasped beside him but relaxed when Timothy just laughed. The dog eagerly licked Timothy’s face as Timothy laughed and squealed.

“That’s Titus,” Todd chuckled from the door. “He loves people. He’s also a good judge of character.”

Timothy continued to giggle as the dog started nuzzling his neck. Titus then laid on top of Timothy and Timothy wrapped his arms around the dog’s neck. “He’s awesome,” Timothy’s eyes were shining with happiness.

“Yes, he is,” Bruce’s voice came from behind them. “You’re welcome to visit him whenever you like. He seems to like you a lot, Tim.”

“I like him too,” Timothy grinned, giggling again as Titus’s large tongue licked his chin.

“There are cats too, if you’re interested,” Bruce spoke up as he entered the room. Everyone else followed him, Todd shutting the door behind them.

“So the dogs and cats get along well?” Richard asked as Damian bent down to pet a black and white cat. The cat hissed at Damian and swiped at him, causing Damian to smirk as he pulled away.

“Yes, they do,” Bruce nodded. “Except that cat.” He pointed at the cat Damian was trying to pet. “I didn’t even bother naming him because he’s such a misbehaver.”

Damian glanced down at the cat, who was now rubbing his legs. The cat’s fur made it look like he was wearing a tuxedo. Damian grinned as an image of a certain butler popped into his head. “I shall call him Alfred,” he announced.

Richard chuckled from beside him, seeming to cover up his smirk behind a hand. “He does bear quite a resemblance,” he said.

“Now you have two pets,” Todd grinned. “A cow and a cat. What an interesting combination.”

“And Titus,” Bruce joined in. “Titus can be yours, Tim.”

“Really?” Timothy’s face brightened.

“Yes,” Bruce nodded. “You two can take the cat and dog with you if you want. Normally, I don’t like my pets running around the manor, but I’ll make an exception with these two.”

“Thank you,” Timothy grinned from the floor. “Now, can someone help me get Titus off?”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Jason have a bonding moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm probably going to be posting two chapters daily because I tend to write two a day due to NaNoWriMo. So far, I've written up to chapter 33. 
> 
> Just thought I'd give you guys a heads up :)

**Jason’s POV**

After the day’s events, all Jason wanted to do was unwind by meditating. Meditation had helped him greatly when Bruce first took him in and now he used it daily. He enjoyed going to the library to meditate, seeing as no one was hardly ever in there. He appeared to be the only one who loved to read. So, Jason was surprised to see Tim and Titus there as he entered the room. “Oh hey,” he called out, startling Tim out of his reading.

Tim smiled and waved. “Hey Jason,” he replied. “What’re you doing here?”

“This is my favorite part of the manor,” Jason grinned as he breathed in the musty book smell. “I’ve read at least half of these books so far.”

“Half?” Tim squeaked in surprise. “But that’s so many.”

“Well, I’ve been here a while,” Jason chuckled in reply. “And for a while, I was the only person here other than Bruce and Alfred. I spent most of my time reading.”

“Oh,” Tim’s mouth curved upward. “Any books you suggest?”

“Well, Call of the Wild by Jack London is pretty good,” Jason replied as he scanned the shelves. “It’s sad, though, and deals with animal abuse. Not sure if you’re into that.”

“Not really,” Tim shook his head, reaching down to pat Titus’s head.

“Hmm…” Jason continued to scan the shelves. “What about Animal Farm? It’s about farm animals obviously. It has some politics in it and democracy.”

“Nah,” Tim shook his head.

“Hmm, you’re hard to please,” Jason chuckled.

“Thanks anyway,” Tim laughed.

Jason turned to smile at him but ended up frowning. There were dark circles under Tim’s eyes and he looked gaunt. He also noticed a bruise around Tim’s left wrist. Concern filled his heart. He saw Tim like a brother. He knew about his relationship with Connor, but he didn’t think Connor would do that to Tim. Connor never showed signs of abusiveness. Jason walked over to Tim and sat in the armchair across from him. He then placed his elbows to his knees and gazed at Tim’s face. “Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

Tim blinked at him in surprise. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said with confusion. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, to be blunt, it looks like a strong wind could knock you over,” Jason sighed. “Are you eating enough?”

Tim’s gaze suddenly turned hard. “Yes, I am,” he snapped. “Why do people keep asking me that? I’m fine.”

“Who else has asked you?” Jason asked, confused by Tim’s outburst.

“Only my brothers, Roy, and Wally,” Tim sighed, rolling his eyes. “Even Alfred has been giving me extra portions. I’m _fine_.”

“Damn, you’re grumpy as hell,” Jason chuckled nervously.

“Well, I’m just tired of people coddling me,” Tim sighed, reaching down again to pet Titus. “I mean, I know I’ve had a bad past, but my life is better now. I’m happy.”

“You don’t look it,” Jason frowned. “You look like you’re becoming sick.”

Tim sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve been working with Bruce,” he finally admitted.

“What?” Jason’s mouth fell open.

“Yeah,” Tim nodded. “He has been asking my input on fighting and stuff. I guess he saw me giving Damian some tips a few weeks back. I may not be able to fight myself, but I know some strategies. Living out in the apocalypse tends to do that to you, especially if you have to defend two brothers. Dick has been helping too.” Tim paused and heaved a large sigh. “Bruce says there’s a war coming, and he wants to be prepared. He knows that Dick and I have some experience with being outnumbered and having to fight for our lives. Damian didn’t begin to help out until he was about twelve and started building all of that muscle. So, Dick and I had to be creative when fighting against large men who wanted to harm us and possibly Damian. Apparently, Bruce sees potential in Dick and me as far as knowledge.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that,” Jason quirked an eyebrow.

“He’s keeping it a secret for now,” Tim admitted. “But he told me I could tell you at some point. I just didn’t think it’d be this soon. Also, Bruce has me help him with some of his financial and work stuff. Dick isn’t as good with money as I am,” Tim huffed out a laugh as he seemed to think back to a specific time. “He’s good about spending things for me and Damian but not for himself. He used to buy himself contaminated vegetables, after all.”

“I remember,” Jason grinned before he became serious again. “Is Bruce giving you too much responsibility? Is that why you’ve lost so much weight?”

Tim shifted a bit before he nodded. “I’m just stressed,” he replied. “But I’m beginning to get used to the work load, so I’m a bit better now.”

“Okay, good,” Jason sighed with relief. “Let me know if it all becomes too much for you. I can tell Bruce to lighten your work load a bit.”

“Will do,” Tim smiled softly. “Thanks for your concern.”

“No problem,” Jason smiled back. “Well, I was going to meditate but I think reading is a nicer option. Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” Tim grinned, Titus giving out a woof in reply as well.

“Cool, thanks,” Jason grinned, heading over a bookshelf and grabbing a book he hadn’t read yet.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian gets into a fight. Bruce locks him up till he calms down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, third chapter of the day just because. Might upload a fourth as well. I need to catch up with uploading.

**Damian’s POV**

While Timothy was in the library with Titus, Damian began to fix things up for his new cat. Damian, Richard, and Timothy now had their own rooms, but they were right next to each other. Timothy’s room was in between Damian’s and Richard’s so, often, the three brothers met in there. Damian was just starting to put together a cat tower when there was a knock on his door. Damian turned to see Richard standing there, shifting from foot to foot. “Hey,” he spoke softly, seeming to gather his thoughts together. “Can I come in?”

“Of course,” Damian nodded, giving Richard a weird look. Richard knew he was always welcome in Damian’s room. There was no need for knocking. Something was definitely up if Richard was acting so strange. “Is everything alright?”

“I’m not sure,” Richard sighed as he plopped down onto Damian’s bed. He raked a hand through his hair in thought before he shifted nervously. “Tim and Connor are dating.” He suddenly blurted.

Damian froze, his body going rigid, before he slowly turned back to Richard. “They’re _what_?” he hissed, eyes narrowing. Richard seemed to flinch at Damian’s tone of voice, so Damian took a deep breath to calm himself. “How did you find out?” he asked.

“By following them to the library,” Richard admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not sure how long this has been going on, but long enough for Tim to feel comfortable enough to kiss him.”

“They kissed?” Damian growled, accidentally breaking a ruler that he had been clutching.

Richard flinched before nodding. “And that’s not all,” Richard’s expression turned sad and troubled.

Damian tossed the now broken ruler and went to sit down next to his older brother. Richard was hunched over and biting his lip, as if trying to keep it from quivering. Damian hesitantly wrapped a strong arm around Richard’s shoulder and gave him a squeeze. “What is troubling you?” he asked softly.

Richard heaved a shaky sigh before resting his head on Damian’s broad shoulder. “I think Connor once told Tim that he was too fat. So, Tim has been eating less. He looks so thin, Dami. Have you noticed?”

Damian turned his gaze to the gray wall as he thought. He had noticed that Timothy’s eyes seemed sunken in. Also, he noticed that Timothy’s cheekbones were more pronounced. He hadn’t seen Timothy shirtless in a while, but he could only guess that his ribs were protruding. “I guess I have noticed,” Damian sighed before his face hardened. “We must put an end to this! Timothy does not deserve to date someone who does not appreciate his appearance the way it is. I will give Kent a talking to, and possibly have Todd help me with that. Todd seems to have grown fond of Timothy over the past few months since the attack.”

Damian felt Richard’s body relax with relief. “Good,” he sighed. “And I’ll talk to Tim. Try to convince him that he needs to eat more and that he’s perfect just the way he is.”

“Curse his parents,” Damian suddenly bit out. “How dare they make him feel this way. If they were not already dead, I would have killed them both slowly.”

Richard seemed to nod in agreement. “Thank you for keeping a level head on this,” he replied softly. “I don’t want you getting out of control.”

“The meditation helps,” Damian admitted with a small shrug, gently bumping Richard’s head. He rubbed Richard’s cheek in apology before he stood. “I shall go find Todd and discuss this with him.”

“Discuss what?” Timothy’s small voice suddenly piped up from the doorway.

Both Richard and Damian jumped in surprise. “You are becoming silent,” Damian deflected the question.

“Yeah,” Richard laughed awkwardly from beside him. “You could be a ninja or something.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Timothy shrugged with a small smile before he stretched his arms above his head. His sweater rode up, producing his hip bones. Richard let out a gasp at the sight before he rushed to Timothy’s side. “What’re you doing?” Timothy grunted as Richard lifted his shirt.

“Oh my God, Tim,” Richard exclaimed sadly. “What is this?”

He pointed to a particularly nasty bruise that was on Timothy’s left rib cage. Timothy’s ribs were protruding, as were his hip bones. Timothy suddenly pushed Richard away before pulling his shirt back down. “It’s nothing,” he replied smoothly. “I ran into a corner.”

“Timothy, you must eat more,” Damian tutted as he walked forward and felt Timothy’s torso. “You are skin and bones. You look ill.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Timothy suddenly shouted, pushing Damian’s hands away. “I’ve just been so busy working with Bruce that I forget to eat. I promise I’ll eat more if you guys just leave me alone.”

“Tim, calm down,” Richard’s voice was soft, soothing. “We’re just concerned about you.”

“Well stop,” Timothy growled. “I can take care of myself.”

“Does not seem that way,” Damian huffed, face hard. “What have you eaten today?”

“Damian—”

“ _What have you eaten_?” Damian hissed.

Timothy’s face paled and he flinched at Damian’s tone. He backed up slightly toward the door, his eyes darting around for any other escape route.

“Damian, you’re scaring him,” Richard reprimanded.

“Well, he did not want us coddling him anymore, so I am not,” Damian snapped before he reached forward and gripped onto Timothy’s left wrist.

Timothy let out a yelp of pain as he tried to free himself. Damian let go briefly to grip Timothy’s upper arm instead. Then, he pulled back Timothy’s sleeve to see a large bruise wrapped around his wrist. Damian growled before he suddenly let Timothy go and stomped out of the room.

“Damian, come back,” Richard shouted, but Damian ignored him.

Damian was seeing red. How dare that soldier harm Timothy. How dare he tell Timothy that he was fat. How dare that man take advantage of Timothy. Hell, how dare he date Timothy at all. He was seeing red; he was hearing nothing but static.

The next thing he knew, someone was holding him back. There was shouting as Damian struggled to free himself. He was being dragged somewhere, but Damian was still unaware of what was going on. There was crying and screaming, and Damian finally looked down to see his hands covered in blood. He soon realized that the screaming was coming from himself as he was suddenly shoved into a white padded room. He turned to see a padded door close behind him. He ran to it and began to pound on it. “Let me out this instant,” he screamed as he looked through the small thick window at the door.

Bruce was on the other side giving him a disproving look. “You need to calm down first,” Bruce growled. “Then, we’ll talk.” He turned and left, leaving Damian in the small padded room alone.

Damian looked around and saw that everything was padded thickly. He continued to shout and bang on the padding at the door until his voice was hoarse. Then he turned and began to pace. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was heading out to find Kent. Whose blood was on his hands? He finally slid down to the padded floor and curled up, waiting for someone to let him out.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and the others find out something strange about Connor's recent behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, last chapter I'm posting today lol. Enjoy!

**Dick’s POV**

Dick hated leaving Tim in the room alone, but he had to follow Damian to make sure he didn’t do something stupid. Dick looked around for Damian before he suddenly heard shouting. He ran toward it and turned a corner just as Damian threw himself at Connor. Dick rushed forward, grabbing Damian’s arm and trying to pull him away. “Damian, stop it!” he shouted as Damian tried to choke Connor.

Damian threw him away just as Connor flipped them over and started punching Damian. Dick threw himself into the fight, desperate to prevent any real harm. All that earned him was a slap to the face curtesy of Connor, who then turned back just as Damian let out an angry roar. Dick cupped his stinging cheek as his eyes watered from pain. He wasn’t sure what else he could do. Both Connor and Damian were much stronger than he was. He suddenly jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Tim, looking at him with sad, guilty eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he bent down to look at Dick’s cheek. “He’s not usually like this.”

Dick blinked at him in surprise. “You’re defending Connor?” he asked incredulously. “After all he’s done to you?”

“He’s a good guy,” Tim said softly, glancing away before looking back at Dick. “He loves me.”

“Does he?” Dick questioned a bit harshly. “I heard what he said to you in the library earlier. You’ve been eating less because he told you to. No one would ask that of you if they loved you, Tim.”

Before Tim could reply, Bruce and Clark suddenly appeared and managed to pull Connor and Damian apart. Connor looked horrible. Both of his eyes were swelling shut and blood was spewing out of his nose. He also had a split lip and he appeared to be daze, looking up at his father in confusion. Finally, he slumped forward, passing out as Clark caught him.

“What the hell is going on?” Bruce shouted over Damian’s angry cries.

“I am not finished with him!” Damian was shouting. “Let me end him!”

Bruce struggled to pull him back further as Damian screamed profanities at an unconscious Connor. Bruce seemed to finally have enough for he began to drag Damian, kicking and screaming, out of the room. Tim and Dick shared looks before they followed after them. Bruce went down to the infirmary and into the bathing room where there was a white door that Dick had never noticed before. Bruce threw the door open and stuffed Damian inside before slamming the door shut and locking it.

“Let me out this instant,” Dick heard Damian shout as there was light banging on the door.

“You need to calm down first,” Bruce growled at the door. “Then we’ll talk.”

Bruce then turned to Dick and Tim before looking behind them. Both boys turned to see Alfred staring at Bruce. “Give him an hour of calm behavior before fetching me.”

“Very well, Master Bruce,” Alfred nodded.

Bruce then approached Dick and tilted his chin to look at his bruising cheek. “I don’t understand why Connor is behaving this way,” he sighed as he finally let go of Dick’s chin. “He’s never been violent.” He paused, seeming to think before he spoke again. “Alfred, get me a sample of Connor’s blood. I need to check it.”

“Right away Sir,” Alfred said before he turned and left the room.

“How are you going to check his blood?” Dick questioned as he and Tim followed Bruce out of the infirmary. “All of the technology that was used is destroyed.”

“I’ll be looking at it under a microscope,” Bruce explained as he headed up the stairs. “Connor’s recent behavior doesn’t add up.”

“How are you going to compare it?” Tim piped up.

“I have a sample of each of my soldiers’ blood,” Bruce answered. “Just in case something like this were to happen and I needed to compare.”

“Oh, that’s really smart,” Tim complimented.

Bruce looked back to give Tim a smile. “Thank you,” he chuckled.

Dick and Tim followed Bruce to his office. Bruce held the door open for the two of them before he closed it. He then turned to Tim and gave him a once over. “Has Connor been harming you?” he asked seriously. “Don’t lie to me.”

Tim heaved a sigh before nodding. “He just grabs me roughly,” he admitted. “I don’t think he means to.”

“He also told Tim that he was too fat,” Dick spit out angrily. Dick saw Tim shift uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye.

“Is that why you’ve been looking so gaunt lately?” Bruce asked, a sad look crossing his face.

“Not exactly,” Tim spoke softly, embarrassed. “I’ve just been under a lot of stress.”

“I can have Dick help me with the fighting strategies if that is too much for you,” Bruce sat back in his arm chair in thought. “No offense, but he has better strategies than you. You work best with my finances and work. Wayne Enterprises has never been as organized as it is now with your help. I’m very pleased with your work.”

Dick watched as Tim blushed from the praise. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“You’re very welcome,” Bruce smiled. “You are an excellent person; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Tim looked down at his lap and nodded. Bruce then picked up a pen and began to write something. Dick and Tim were silent as he wrote, waiting for him to finish. When Bruce finally did finish, Alfred had entered the room with a blood sample. Bruce thanked him and grabbed a microscope before dropping a bit of Connor’s blood on a slab. He then looked into the microscope and hummed in confusion.

“What is it?” Alfred asked.

“I’m not sure,” Bruce admitted as he continued to look. “I’ve never seen a toxin like this before. It almost looks like…” Bruce trailed off, seeming to be in deep thought before he continued. “It almost looks like a mixture of Scarecrow’s toxin and Joker’s poison. I knew they were somewhat working together. However, I didn’t know they were this close as partners.”

“How did Connor get that in his system?” Dick spoke up from his chair. “The fight was months ago.”

Bruce glanced up at Alfred knowingly. “A couple weeks ago, we had a breach of security,” he admitted. “Connor went to investigate and must’ve been drugged with the toxin, or whatever it is. The affects seem to build up the longer it’s in someone’s system. I have a feeling that if it had been in Connor’s bloodstream any longer, he may have become under Joker’s control and would’ve done anything that was asked of him.”

“Including gaining intel and killing Master Bruce,” Alfred supplied. “It is a good thing Master Damian confronted him when he did. Otherwise, we would be dealing with more than just a fist fight.”

“Agreed,” Bruce nodded before he stood. “I’m going to go check on him. Alfred, take Dick to the infirmary and give him some ice for his cheek. Also, handcuff Connor to his infirmary bed until I can come check on him. It will take some time for me to find an antidote. I may even have to place him in the padded room.”

“Very well,” Alfred nodded before he turned to Dick. “Come along, Master Dick.”

“Would you like to come with me, Tim?” Bruce suddenly asked as he made his way to the door. “I feel that Damian will need some reassurance that you are okay.”

Tim glanced between Dick and Bruce before nodding his head.

“Good, let’s go,” Bruce gave Tim a warm smile before leading him out of the office.

“This way, Master Dick,” Alfred said as he headed toward the door.

“Do you think Tim will be okay?” Dick asked as he followed Alfred out of the room and toward the infirmary.

“I believe he will be with both you and Master Damian at his side,” Alfred supplied. “There is also Master Jason as well. He and Master Timothy have been bonding over reading. I believe Master Jason sees Master Timothy as a brother, just as you do.”

Dick couldn’t stop the warm smile that spread across his face. “He’s a great guy,” he commented, blushing slightly.

“That he is,” Alfred agreed. “Now, let’s get some ice for your cheek, then I shall leave you to your room to rest.”

Dick rolled his eyes at the thought of having to rest, but he didn’t object. After all, it was scary to get on Alfred’s bad side.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce asks for Tim's help. There's some DamiTim fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I believe this story is only halfway through. Already, though, I am coming up with a sequel. So...yayyyy. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Tim’s POV**

Bruce and Tim were a minute ahead of Dick and Alfred as they made their way to the infirmary where the padded room was kept. They were silent, both appearing to be deep in thought, as they entered the infirmary. Tim glanced up and saw that Connor was in a bed, still unconscious, with Clark at his bedside. Clark saw Tim staring and gave a small wave. Tim just smiled slightly back before he and Bruce entered the bathing room and went toward the door. Bruce peeked into the room and, seemingly satisfied with what he saw, opened the door.

“Where are Timothy and Richard?” were the first words Tim heard.

“Tim is with me and Dick will be coming down shortly,” Bruce answered, stepping aside so Damian could see Tim. “Both are okay. Dick will have a bruise on his face for a while, but he will live.”

Tim saw Damian stand and make his way toward him. Tim ducked his head in embarrassment as Damian’s eyes seemed to pierce into his soul. He flinched slightly as a hand cupped his chin. “I will not harm you,” Damian’s voice was soft and warm, causing Tim’s body to tingle slightly. Tim allowed Damian to lift his chin and gaze into his eyes. “You look tired.”

“That’s because I am,” Tim sighed, finally pulling away from Damian’s gentle touch. “It’s been a stressful day.”

“That it has,” Damian agreed, suddenly taking a wet rag from Bruce and wiping the dried blood off of his hands. “This is the second time today that I have had blood on my hands.”

“I’m sorry for Connor’s behavior,” Bruce seemed to be speaking to both Damian and Tim. “I’ve found out that Connor has some kind of mutated toxin in his blood. That’s why he’s been acting so violent lately.”

“Tt,” Damian huffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “That is still no excuse for him to hurt Timothy and Richard.”

“Well, it kinda is,” Tim spoke up, flinching as Damian gave him an incredulous stare. “If it is a toxin, it probably messed up his brain chemistry. He has no control over his actions.”

“You are defending him after he has harmed you?” Damian frowned.

“It’s not like I haven’t been harmed before,” Tim whispered, staring down at his feet.

“Does not mean you should still expect it,” Damian tsked.

Tim continued to stare at his feet, feeling both Bruce and Damian giving him a once over. He knew he looked thinner than usual, but that only meant that he was more attractive. He had been too chubby before. He knew it, and Connor did too. Why no one else thought that way made him a bit confused. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he still seemed a bit chubby, but everyone was acting like he was deathly ill. He was fine, though. At least, he thought so.

He suddenly flinched in surprise as a large hand cupped his cheek. He glanced up to see Damian staring at him with his intense green eyes. “You are beautiful,” Damian muttered, his gaze warm, comforting. “You were beautiful before as well. Please, try to eat more now. I do not want you falling ill because of a weakened immune system.”

Tim sighed contently as Damian’s free hand raked through his hair. His eyes slipped closed at the comforting touch. “I’ll try,” he finally spoke.

“Good,” Damian smiled. “That is all I ask.”

Bruce cleared his throat, causing Damian’s soft touch to leave Tim’s face. Tim frowned a bit in disappointment until he turned and saw Dick standing in the doorway, holding a bag of ice to his cheek. Instantly, Tim felt guilt hit him like a brick wall. He was the cause of that. It was his fault that Dick was hurt. If Tim had just been able to calm Connor down, Dick wouldn’t be sporting a big bruise on his face. He’d rather Connor hit him than Dick. He deserved it, after all.

“Dick, I’m so sorry,” Tim found himself saying, a hitching sob entering his throat.

Dick frowned before he moved forward and enveloped Tim into his arms. “It’s not your fault,” he whispered before kissing Tim’s hair. “Don’t blame yourself.”

“But, if I had been able to calm Connor—”

“Do not be absurd,” Damian tutted from behind. “No one could have calmed him down if what you said about his altered brain chemistry is true.”

“Both Damian and Dick are right,” Bruce’s deep voice spoke. “It wasn’t your fault, Tim. It wasn’t even Connor’s fault. It’s the toxin in his system. Hopefully I will be able to create a cure.”

“Can I help?” Tim asked timidly, his head lifting briefly from Dick’s chest. “I know a bit about chemistry from the books you have in the library. Maybe another set of eyes will be useful?”

Tim saw Bruce give him a soft smile. “Sure,” he nodded. “I could always use another big brain.”

Tim blushed and buried his head back in Dick’s chest at the compliment. Dick’s arms around him tightened slightly, causing him to flinch as a thought entered his mind. Connor would squeeze him too tight. He would also pull him into a rough, bruising kiss on occasion.

He must’ve stiffened for Dick suddenly pulled back to look into his eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly, brushing a long lock of hair off Tim’s face.

Tim nodded hesitantly. He didn’t want to cause his brothers more worry. Besides, he was fine. He had deserved it after all.

Tim pulled away and turned to Bruce. Seeing Damian out of the corner of his eye, Tim quickly glanced at him. He was surprised to see bruising on Damian’s left eye and a split lip. He found himself heading toward Damian, his eyes glancing over his face for any more bruising. He reached up and cupped Damian’s cheek, wiping at the drying blood that had gathered on his chin. “Are you hurting?” he asked softly, watching as Damian’s eyes slipped closed.

“Not really,” Damian answered. “This is nothing I have not felt before. I shall heal.”

Tim heaved a sigh before he pulled away and turned back to Bruce. “When would you like to start?” he asked.

“Right away,” Bruce answered. “We need to create an antidote as soon as possible. I don’t want the toxin to be in him any longer than necessary.”

Tim nodded in reply before giving each of his brothers a timid smile. “I guess I’ll see you guys later,” he said as he followed Bruce out of the room.

“Don’t stay up too late,” Dick warned from behind them. “Big brains do need their rest.”

Tim just chuckled in reply as he followed Bruce out of the infirmary and toward his office.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Dick/Jason fluff. Jason learns more about Dick, Tim, and Damian's pasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I really love the Damian/Tim pairing and I'm surprised there aren't many current stories with that pairing. Good thing I'm changing that :)
> 
> This is kinda a filler chapter. Hope you enjoy anyway.

**Jason’s POV**

Upon hearing what had occurred between Damian and Connor, Jason instantly wanted to see if Tim was okay. Then he had heard about Connor slapping Dick, and he changed his course. He headed to Dick’s room and peeked in, surprised to see both Dick and Damian there. Their heads were together, and they appeared to be looking at a book of some sort. Jason smiled as he knocked on the doorframe, the smile turning into a grin as both boys glanced up at him.

“Hey,” he replied easily, a lazy smile on his face. “Can I come in?”

“Hey,” Dick said back with a small smile of his own. “Sure.”

Jason grinned as he entered the room. He plopped down in a small chair that was in the room and watched as Damian went back to the book. Dick was staring at Jason questioningly and Jason realized he hadn’t stated why he was there. He cleared his throat. “I was just seeing if you guys were okay,” he explained, his eyes looking at Dick’s bruised cheek. “I heard that both Connor and Damian flipped their shit.”

“Tt,” Damian huffed in reply, his eyes never leaving the book. “Kent started it.”

“Yeah, okay,” Jason rolled his eyes. “Where’s Tim?”

“He’s helping Bruce create an antidote,” Dick replied, picking up the melting ice pack on the bedside table and placing it on his cheek. “I really hope they don’t pull an all-nighter. Tim needs his sleep.”

“Indeed,” Damian agreed with a nod. “If I do not hear from them by ten, I am dragging Timothy to his room.”

“Remind me to never get on your bad side,” Jason chuckled. “If Tim gets that kind of treatment on your good side, I don’t wanna know what treatment I’d get on your bad side.”

“Similar to Kent’s,” Damian replied smoothly. “I shall beat you to a pulp and possibly murder you if needed.”

Jason blinked in surprise. “Seriously?” he asked.

“Yes,” Damian nodded. “I was raised to be an assassin after all.”

“True,” Jason pondered. “Well, thank goodness I haven’t gotten on your bad side yet.”

“Hurt Richard, and you will,” Damian threatened, suddenly snapping his book shut and standing. “I shall ask Alfred to prepare Timothy and Father a snack. I will be back later.”

“Okay, bye Dami,” Dick grinned at his little brother, wincing slightly at his sore cheek.

“Keep ice on that,” Damian instructed before he left the room.

“Yes Mom,” Dick shouted after him with a chuckle.

Damian’s hand suddenly appeared from the doorframe and he gave Dick the finger before it withdrew. Dick was laughing at Damian’s response as Jason heard Damian’s footsteps echo down the hall.

“Well, that is one interesting kid,” Jason chuckled along with Dick’s laughter.

“Yeah, he’s great,” Dick laughed, pausing to wipe a tear from his eye. “I couldn’t ask for better brothers.” His smile suddenly turned sad. “Poor Tim.”

“Yeah,” Jason sighed. “I can’t believe he let Connor toss him around without telling someone.”

“I can,” Dick sighed sadly. “His parents were worse. I guess he sometimes feels like he deserves the abuse.”

“Really?” Jason asked in surprise.

“Yeah,” Dick nodded. “All he knew as a kid was what his parents told him, that he was a mistake.”

“Oh wow,” Jason frowned. “That’s horrible.”

“Yeah,” Dick agreed. “I just wish I could help him more, get him to understand how wonderful he is.”

“Well, maybe these things take time,” Jason suggested.

“I know they do,” Dick’s expression was still sad. “I’ve been working on him ever since I found him, and he still has low self-esteem. I wish I could take his pain away.”

Jason stood from the chair and sat down on the mattress beside Dick, placing his hand on Dick’s shoulder. “You’re doing everything you can,” he replied softly. “That’s what counts.”

“I know,” Dick whispered. “I just wish I could do more.”

Jason, on a whim, carefully wrapped an arm around Dick’s thin shoulders and pulled him close. Dick instinctively rested his head on Jason’s shoulder. Jason hesitantly placed a kiss to Dick’s hair, smiling when Dick sighed and leaned into the touch. “You’re a great brother,” he whispered into Dick’s hair. “Both Damian and Tim have turned into great guys. You should be proud.”

“I am,” Dick’s voice was tender. “I’m very proud of them. They’ve come so far.”

“As have you, I’m sure,” Jason replied.

“Yeah, I guess,” Dick nodded.

“How did you do it?” Jason asked. “How were you able to raise two kids by yourself at such a young age?”

“I’m not really sure.” Dick replied. “I guess, when I found Tim, I realized that I was lonely. I just didn’t want to be alone anymore. It was hard at first because Tim was so damaged, broken, but I was able to loosen him up as the years dragged on. With Damian it was a bit harder for he was trained to kill. It took me saving his life for him to trust me completely and listen to what I would tell him. He learned not to kill, but instead to just harm our attackers enough so that they couldn’t hurt us. Sometimes, he would fall back onto his training, but he got better the more Tim and I worked with him. Eventually, I guess he forgot his training completely, since Bruce has been having to train him all over again. He was very young when I found him, so it’s possible.”

“You’re amazing,” Jason suddenly gushed, blushing at his outburst.

Dick laughed. “Why thank you,” he chuckled before he nuzzled Jason’s neck. “This is nice.”

“Yeah?” Jason asked hopefully. Dick just nodded in reply, giving out a content sigh as Jason gave him a gentle squeeze. “We can do it more often if you like.”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Dick lifted his head to grin at Jason. Jason couldn’t help but smile back.

Jason was about to ask Dick what this meant when Titus ran into the room and pounced on both Dick and Jason. Both boys laughed as they fell back on the bed. Titus was wagging his tail and giving them both licks.

“Titus, back off,” Dick was laughing as he and Jason both managed to push the large dog off their chests. “What has gotten into you?”

“Maybe he wanted to join in on the love fest,” Tim’s voice answered as he entered the room. He waved at Jason. “Hi Jason.”

“Hey Tim,” Jason smiled.

“Timothy, I insist that you sit down and eat,” Damian’s voice was grumbling as footsteps pounded down the hall.

Tim rolled his eyes. “He’s trying to force food down my throat,” he chuckled nervously.

“Damn right I am you twig,” Damian huffed, rounding the corner to glare at Tim. “You must eat to gain some muscle. You are practically skin and bones.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to eat every time you shove food in my face,” Tim suddenly snapped, clearly annoyed. “I can eat on my own time.”

“Okay, let’s all calm down,” Dick sighed as he stood from the bed. “Damian, Tim doesn’t have to eat if he doesn’t want to. However, he will be eating a large portion at every meal.”

“Dick,” Tim whined, turning to stomp his foot.

“Do not act like a child, Timothy,” Damian grinned in victory. “Just do as Richard says. His word is law.”

Tim let out a huff and cross his arms defiantly. “I will eat at every meal, but just regular portions,” he pleaded, turning to give Dick puppy dog eyes.

Dick sighed in resignation. “Fine,” he agreed. “But Alfred gets to put the food on your plate.”

“Fine,” Tim huffed, sticking his nose up in the air.

“Children, I’m surrounded by children,” Dick chuckled.

“I am not a child,” Damian huffed.

“Technically, you are,” Tim grinned. “You’re sixteen. Eighteen is considered an adult.”

“Whatever,” Damian huffed.

Jason suddenly heard Bruce speak through the comm. “The acid rain is starting to melt the glass of the greenhouse. It appears to be getting stronger. We will meet up tomorrow to figure out what to do.”

All of the soldiers muttered their confirmations and Jason did the same before he stood. “Well, as fun as this was, I gotta get going,” he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “I’m glad you guys are okay.”

“Thanks Jason,” Dick grinned at him. “See you tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Jason nodded, a small smile reaching his lips. “Bye guys.”

“Bye,” all three brothers spoke in unison.

Jason gave Titus a pat before he left the room, intent on getting a good night’s sleep so he could focus on their meeting tomorrow.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian becomes one of Bruce's soldiers. Brother fluff ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so I think this story is two-thirds done. I'm working on the third part of the story now. I hope you guys have enjoyed this story as much as I have! Thank you so much for the kudos and comments!

**Damian’s POV**

Damian dodged the jab to his torso and retaliated with a swift kick to his attacker’s side. The man grunted in surprise and fell back to regain his thoughts before faking a jab to Damian’s ribs and going for Damian’s face instead. Damian had anticipated the move, however, and managed to block it. He and his attacker seemed to be evenly matched, each man giving and taking about the same. Finally, Damian managed to flip the man hard and pin him to the ground. The man struggled and almost got free, but Damian used his legs to keep the man down. Finally, the man tapped the mats three times and Damian let him stand.

Bruce smiled at Damian proudly. “You passed your test,” he said, holding out his hand for Damian to shake. “Congratulations on finally beating me.”

Damian couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. He turned as he heard applause from the soldiers and his brothers, Todd giving him a thumbs-up. Todd had been working hard with Damian since the attack on the manor all those months ago. All of the training and hard work had finally paid off.

“Kneel please,” Bruce spoke as Alfred entered the room with a gold sword. Damian did as asked, and Bruce unsheathed the sword. “I am now knighting you as one of my soldiers.” He placed the tip of the blade over Damian’s right shoulder first before moving to his left. “You will protect me and this manor from harm. You will fight with my soldiers with pride and dignity. You will do as I ask, when I ask it without argument. You will be loyal to me and my soldiers. Do you accept these terms?”

“Yes,” Damian spoke with determination. “Yes, I do.”

“Very well,” Bruce lifted the sword and sheathed it before handing it back to Alfred. “You are now one of my soldiers. Congratulations.”

More applause and Richard even whistled, causing Damian to roll his eyes briefly. He turned as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Alfred had handed Bruce another sword. This one had a black hilt with an engraved bat symbol on the blade. Bruce held out the sword and Damian took it, admiring the sharp blade. “What is this?” he asked.

“This is your very own soldier sword,” Bruce smiled softly. “I figured you’d want a real one along with your collapsible sword. Wear it at all times.”

Damian looked at the shine of the blade before he sheathed it and nodded. “I will,” he agreed.

“Very good,” Bruce smiled. “Now, I am having a meeting after lunch to discuss the strengthening of the acid rain. You and your brothers are invited. The more brains the merrier.”

“Very well,” Damian nodded.

“Today, I have prepared you some vegetarian chili,” Alfred spoke up from the left of the mats. “Everyone else may have beef chili.”

“Alfred,” Richard spoke up from the opposite side of the mat. “I’m not eating meat anymore either.”

“Very well, Young Sir,” Alfred spoke smoothly. “I made enough vegetarian chili for four people.”

“Thanks, Alfred,” Richard grinned.

“You are most welcome,” Alfred bowed before he turned to leave the room. “Lunch will be served in an hour.”

“I will see you all then,” Bruce smiled before he walked off the mats and left the gym.

“Damian, all of the soldiers were going to go to a pub tonight to celebrate,” Roy piped up. “You’re welcome to join us. We are celebrating for you, after all.”

“I—”

“He’s only sixteen,” Richard suddenly snapped, standing to face Roy. “He can’t go to a pub.”

“Dude, after the apocalypse, people stopped caring about the age shit,” Roy Harper chuckled. “Get with the program,”

“Roy—" Todd started.

“What?” Harper asked, turning to glare at Todd. “You used to come to these things too. Why’d you stop?”

“You’re already drunk,” Todd stated a bit incredulously. He walked to Harper and jabbed a finger into his chest. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for Bruce’s soldiers to be drunk? We need to be at our best in case there’s an attack.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Harper waved off. “Bruce has already given me the lecture.”

“Do you know why Oliver kicked you out of his domain?” Todd seethed, everyone else watching with surprise.

“Don’t you dare,” Harper warned, pushing at Todd slightly.

“It’s because he couldn’t trust you,” Todd snapped, continuing to jab his finger into Harper’s chest. “You’re lucky Bruce even gave you a chance.” Jason’s voice suddenly softened. “I know you have a drinking problem. Please let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” Harper suddenly roared, pushing Todd hard enough for him to stumble back. He turned and pointed an accusing finger at Richard. “Ever since this circus clown and his kids came here, you’ve been acting different.” Damian bristled at the insult directed at Richard. “Why is some orphan more important to you than your best friend?” Harper then stomped over to Richard and pushed him. “Why is this bastard so important to you? He’s nothing special.”

Damian suddenly drew his new sword out and placed it in between Richard and Harper in one fluid motion. “You will unhand Richard this instant and apologize for your outburst,” he snapped, gently pushing Richard back so he could stand between him and Harper.

Harper suddenly threw his head back and laughed. “You’re kidding, right?” he laughed rudely. “You think now that you’re a soldier you have the right to tell me what to do? I’m higher ranked than you. I could slit your throat so fast that you wouldn’t even have time to defend yourself.”

“Roy, that’s enough,” Bruce’s voice suddenly boomed. Everyone turned to see him turn the corner and enter the gym again. “You will apologize to everyone for your outburst. You will then come with me. We need to discuss a few things.”

“Don’t mock me, Batwipe,” Harper suddenly sneered. “I know you just want to talk with me in private, so you can fire me.”

“That’s not true,” Bruce shook his head. “Now apologize or I may consider firing you.”

Harper seemed to deflate before he turned to everyone else. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I’m sorry for my outburst.”

Everyone just mumbled in reply, unsure of how to react. Harper then turned to Bruce and followed him out of the gym with his head hanging. Once he was gone, Damian turned to Richard. “Are you alright?” he asked with a frown. Richard had been unusually silent the whole time.

Richard gave Damian a weak smile. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he said softly.

“I’m so sorry about him,” Todd sighed. “He’s had a troubled past.”

“So have we,” Damian snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. “Does not mean we drink our problems away.”

Todd nodded. “You’re right,” he agreed. “You guys are just better people than he is.”

“Damn right, we are,” Damian huffed, sticking his nose in the air. “He should not even be a soldier.”

“It’s a bit complicated,” West piped up from Damian’s left.

“Complicated or not, he should not be defending Father in his state,” Damian argued, turning back to wrap an arm around Richard’s shoulder. “We shall see you at lunch,” he snapped before he glanced at Timothy then turned to leave. He soon heard Timothy follow them up to their rooms. He would have a word with Harper later. For now, he needed to comfort Richard.

When they reached their rooms, Damian immediately went to Timothy’s. As he opened the door, all three brothers were greeted by Titus, who wagged his tail and gave them a soft woof of hello. Damian headed to Timothy’s bed as Timothy bent down to pet his dog. Damian gently pushed Richard onto the bed and sat down next to him. “What Harper said about you is not true,” he stated, his green eyes piercing Richard’s vivid blue ones.

“I agree,” Timothy piped up as he made his way to the bed. “You are very special to us.”

Richard let out a soft sigh. “I know,” he admitted. “But you guys are a bit biased.”

“Does not matter,” Damian huffed. “It is the truth.”

“You’re an amazing person, Dick,” Timothy spoke softly as he sat down on Richard’s other side. “We probably wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for you.” He suddenly paused. “Well, I wouldn’t be, but Damian might.”

“Yeah, our little assassin,” Richard spoke fondly, reaching up to ruffle Damian’s hair.

“Stop that this instant,” Damian squawked, lightly pushing Richard’s hand away. “I am not little any longer. I am now bigger than the both of you.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re our little brother,” Timothy grinned.

“Shut up,” Damian huffed. “I can defeat the both of you in two seconds; that has not changed.” 

“You’re still adorable,” Richard cooed. “That also hasn’t changed.”

“Will you two stop treating me like a child,” Damian snapped, continuing to push Richard’s hands away as he tried to ruffle Damian’s hair again.

Hearing Tim’s laughter at his expense made Damian’s heart flutter. As Richard finally moved away and Damian was able to gaze at Tim, something clicked into place. He blinked in surprise at the feeling he recognized. It was a feeling of love. Not brotherly love. No, this was a different kind of love, one that made Damian swear to himself that he wouldn’t let Tim slip out of his grasp again. He would fight for Tim’s love, prove to him that he was a much better boyfriend than Connor would ever be.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim gets confused by Damian's kind gestures. Jason and Tim have a brotherly moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit long, but it's worth it. You get a good insight into Tim's head. 
> 
> There's an eating disorder implied in this chapter, just a heads up. Also, some of Tim's thoughts reflect my own. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy.

**Tim’s POV**

After the fight between Connor and Damian, Tim noticed that Damian would stare at him in an odd way. At first, he thought it was with judgment, but then Damian began to do kind things for him. If Tim was up working late with Bruce, Damian would sometimes stop by with a plate of snacks curtesy of Alfred. Sometimes, Damian would even stay in the room with them and read while Bruce and Tim worked on the antidote. Other times, Damian would hold a door open for Tim or even pull his chair out for him at their meals. It made Tim blush and become very confused. Did Damian take pity on him for Connor’s behavior?

“Hey Jason,” Tim spoke up one day as he, Jason, and Titus were in the library.

“Hmm?” Jason hummed without looking up from his book.

“Does Damian seem…different to you?” Tim asked, bending down to scratch Titus’s ears.

“Different how?” Jason mumbled, taking a lazy sip of the lemonade that Alfred had brought them.

“I don’t know, nicer?” Tim supplied with a hum. “He’s been opening doors for me and pulling out my chair. Don’t couples usually do that?”

Jason suddenly spit out his lemonade and choked a bit. “I-I don’t know what you mean,” he gasped, trying to catch his breath.

Tim was even more confused now. “That’s what Dick told me once when I was young,” he said. “And my dad used to do that for my mom.”

“I guess,” Jason shrugged once he caught his breath. “He does seem kinder lately, but maybe it’s due to the fight he had with Connor. I’m not sure. Maybe you should ask him yourself.”

“Yeah, I guess I could,” Tim pondered. “I don’t think I want to be with Connor anymore anyway. After all that has happened, I think I’m going to be single for a while.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Jason nodded. “For all we know, Connor could’ve been told to start a relationship with you. He was under the influence of that toxin when you guys got together.”

“True,” Tim agreed. “But why would Joker want that?”

Jason suddenly sighed and put his book down before staring Tim in the eyes. “Remember what he said about you and Dick?”

“You mean, about our bodies being perfect for slavery?” Tim asked, a shiver running through his body at the thought.

“Yeah,” Jason nodded. “I think it has something to do with that. Maybe Connor was supposed to gather intel about you. He probably didn’t have the chance to tell Joker, though, seeing as we caught him.”

“God, I hope not,” Tim frowned, rubbing his arms.

Jason frowned as well before he stood, placing his book in the chair he vacated. He then squatted down next to Tim and held out his arms. Tim froze for a second before deciding he wanted the comforting embrace. He fell into Jason’s arms, and Jason wrapped him up in a nice warm hug.

“It’ll be okay,” Jason whispered into Tim’s hair. “I’ll keep you both safe.”

Tim let out a soft sigh in reply, finally pulling back when he heard a throat clear. He glanced toward the door to see Dick staring at them with a raised eyebrow and a grin. “Am I interrupting something?” he asked.

“Nah,” Jason grinned back, pausing to ruffle Tim’s long hair. “Just some brotherly love.”

“Yeah?” Dick asked, a pleased look crossing his features.

“Yep,” Tim piped up with a smile of his own.

“That’s nice,” Dick grinned. “Now you have three brothers, Tim.”

“Yeah, I do,” Tim nodded, turning to give Jason a grin.

“Is everything okay?” Dick questioned, a small frown of worry on his face.

“Yeah, we were just talking about the whole Connor situation,” Jason supplied.

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Dick asked with a roll of his eyes.

“Yep,” both Tim and Jason grinned.

Dick huffed out a laugh. “Okay then,” he said. “Bruce was looking for you Tim.”

“Oh okay,” Tim nodded, standing and giving his body a nice stretch. “I’ll see you at lunch?”

“Of course,” Dick grinned, ruffling Tim’s hair as he passed.

“Stop messing up my hair,” Tim mumbled as he struggled to fix it, hearing both Dick and Jason’s laughter as he left the room.

“We do it because we love you,” Dick called out.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tim replied.

He let out a big sigh as he followed the hallway toward Bruce’s office. He made sure to knock before entering. Bruce glanced up from the microscope he had been looking in. “Hey Tim,” he said.

“Hey,” Tim smiled hesitantly. “You needed to see me?”

“Yes,” Bruce bent down to write on a piece of paper before standing. “I think I’ve finally figured out the antidote. I’ll have to send some soldiers into town to get what I need. I was wondering if you’d like to go with them; get out of the house.”

“Umm, I’m not sure,” Tim spoke hesitantly.

“Jason will be there,” Bruce supplied. “As well as Wally and Damian.”

“Umm, okay,” Tim finally gave in. “I guess I’ll go.”

“Good,” Bruce smiled. “I will need you to make sure they get the right ingredients. Sometimes they get distracted.”

“You mean Wally?” Tim answered with a grin.

“Yes, mostly Wally,” Bruce chuckled in agreement. “So, you’ll go?”

“Yes, I’ll go,” Tim nodded.

“Thank you,” Bruce smiled. “You will leave after lunch. As I hear it, Alfred has prepared us a feast.”

“Yes, some kind of stew,” Tim nodded, glancing down angrily as his stomach growled.

“I guess you’ll be hungry by then,” Bruce chuckled. “I’m sure Alfred will expect you to eat everything on your plate.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Tim sighed.

“Everything alright?” Bruce asked with a frown.

Tim sighed, deciding not to meet Bruce’s gaze. “I just don’t feel like eating,” he admitted.

“But your stomach is telling you you’re hungry,” Bruce’s voice sounded a bit hard. “That means you need to eat.”

“I know what it means,” Tim suddenly snapped before giving Bruce an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You’re grumpy because you’re hungry,” Bruce sighed. “It happens to Jason often. I’m sure you’re also tired of people telling you to do things you don’t want to do.”

“Yes,” Tim huffed in annoyance. “I’ll eat when I want to.”

“Okay,” Bruce nodded. “But at least eat a little of what Alfred has prepared. It will hurt the old man’s feelings if you don’t at least sample his cooking.”

“Really?” Tim’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yeah,” Bruce replied. “He would never admit it, though. He enjoys cooking for all of us.”

“Oh,” Tim frowned in thought. “I guess I could eat a bit of his cooking.”

“Good,” Bruce smiled at him. “I’ll let you go wash up. Lunch should be ready any minute.”

“Okay, thanks,” Tim said before he turned and left the room.

As he walked, he began obsessing over having to eat. He didn’t want to hurt Alfred’s feelings by refusing the food, but if he wanted to lose weight, he needed to eat less. If his brothers found out he wasn’t eating much, however, they would probably force him to stay at the table until he ate everything on his plate. But he was fat; there was no denying it. Every time he looked in the mirror, he was disgusted with himself. He had an obvious double chin and his stomach was atrocious. He needed to keep reminding himself not to eat, otherwise he would give into the hunger and probably binge. He knew he couldn’t purge; he had tried it once and despite having just eaten, he couldn’t make himself throw up. So, if he did end up binging, he would refuse to eat at all the next day out of guilt. He had to figure out a way to fake eating around his brothers, so they wouldn’t worry. Was that even possible? Could one pretend to eat their meals without actually eating it? He guessed he could sneak his food to Titus under the table. He had to be very sneaky about it, though, for Damian had been keeping a close eye on him since his fight with Connor. Plus, Bruce seemed to know everything that was going on in the large house.

How Bruce did it, Tim didn’t know. There were at least ten soldiers who lived in the manor, along with Tim, Dick, and Damian. Plus, there was Alfred, who also seemed to have a sixth sense about what went on in the manor. Maybe there were hidden microphones all around the house.

Tim was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice Damian exiting his room until it was too late. Both boys slammed into each other, Tim falling on the ground.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Tim rambled as Damian helped him stand. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“It is alright,” Damian gave Tim a small, kind smile. He was still holding Tim’s hand.

Tim pulled his hand away and glanced down at the ground. “Are you heading to lunch?”

“Yes,” Damian nodded. “Would you care to join me?”

“Actually, I need to wash my hands before heading down,” Tim stumbled a bit over his words.

“Oh, okay,” Damian seemed a bit disappointed. “I shall see you down there.”

“Okay,” Tim nodded, glancing up into Damian’s beautiful eyes. “Bye.”

“Bye,” Damian gave Tim a soft smile before he turned and left.

Tim then went to his room to wash his hands before heading down to dinner.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce has a meeting about the acid rain. Damian has a heart to heart with Bat-Cow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much to say about this chapter. You learn more about Damian in this one. I hope you guys like it :)

**Damian’s POV**

Earlier that same day, the soldiers and Bruce had a meeting to discuss the strengthening of the acid rain. The acid rain was beginning to melt the glass of the greenhouse. Upon investigating in town, it was noticed that even some of the cheaper metal housing was melting. Everyone in town seemed distressed so Bruce decided to have a quick meeting that morning.

“Okay, any suggestions on what we can do to strengthen the metals and glass?” Bruce asked once every soldier was present. “The townspeople are beginning to panic so we need to act fast.”

“I believe we could just add thicker metal,” Damian spoke up first. “It would take longer for the rain to bleed through thicker metal.”

“I second that,” Todd piped up. “There’s not much else we can do. We already have the strongest glass and metal at the manor. Thankfully, our metal doesn’t seem to be melting yet. Do we have any bullet proof glass?”

“We do in storage,” Bruce nodded.

“Then we should use that,” Todd spoke confidently. “If we can somehow create more, we can slowly spread it throughout the city. Same with the metal we use. I know it could cost a lot of money, but Gotham’s people need to be safe.”

Bruce sighed and rubbed his temples. “We’re talking possibly millions of dollars,” he said, before he turned to Timothy. “What do you think?”

“Well, judging by how much money you have now, I’d say it’s doable,” Timothy spoke evenly as he glanced down at the papers in his hands. “As long as we do it slowly. You make about five million dollars a year, so Wayne Enterprises will be able to spend some money to help build.”

“Very well,” Bruce agreed. “We will get started next week. See to it that we spend the money on supplies wisely.”

Timothy nodded in reply, writing a note down on his notepad.

Currently, everyone was seated at the dining room table. Clark seemed to be more silent than usual, probably still upset at Damian for beating up his son. Damian almost rolled his eyes at the thought. He did what he had to do in order to keep everyone safe. If he hadn’t, Connor could’ve done more severe damage by now.

Bruce was leaning toward Kent and whispering something to him. Damian watched as Kent’s stance relaxed slightly at Bruce’s words. He almost gagged when Bruce captured Kent’s lips in a kiss. How disgusting, and at the dinner table too. Damian huffed in annoyance before he glanced down at his vegetarian chili. It was nearing January and it was bitter cold outside. It hadn’t snowed yet, to Damian’s surprise. Usually, they would get snow by November. Damian guessed the atmosphere was beginning to change. He could almost feel it himself. Acid snow was very dangerous anyway, especially with the acid becoming stronger. When the snow stuck to the ground, it would burn an inch or more of the dirt, causing toxic fumes to emanate. The townspeople wouldn’t even be able to step outside unless they had masks, and some of them were too poor to afford one.

Damian remembered a time when he, Richard, and Timothy were still looking for a place to live. They had found the space where their current house was and had to build it themselves. He remembered how he had fallen deathly ill from the fumes and had to wear a scarf around his mouth and nose until Richard managed to dig up enough money to buy him a mask. He had never seen Richard and Timothy look so worried before. Even when they had been under attack by murderers and rapists, Richard and Timothy always seemed to keep their cool. But, when Damian had almost been on his death bed, he could see how worried and upset they both were. He guessed they felt helpless and weren’t sure how to handle that feeling.

A nudge from his left brought Damian out of his thoughts. He turned to see Richard grinning at him. “What?” Damian asked, confused by Richard’s facial expression.

“I asked if you could bring me some paints back from town,” Richard grinned. “Bruce said he would lend you some money too.”

“I do not know, Richard,” Damian sighed. “I already have to get some odd supplies for Kent’s antidote.”

Richard’s face fell. “Oh, okay,” he whispered. “I understand.”

“Don’t worry about that, Damian,” Todd piped up from across the table. “Wally and I can worry about the supplies. You go get Dick some paints and even a big canvas. I’m sure he’d like that.”

Richard beamed at Todd before turning it to Damian. “Yes, I would,” he grinned happily.

Damian sighed in resignation. After all, who could say no to Richard? It was like saying no to a cute little puppy. “Alright,” he agreed, giving a small smile at Richard’s squeal of excitement.

“Thank you so much!” he cried happily. “I can’t wait to paint my parents. I want you guys to see what they looked like.”

“Very well,” Damian nodded in agreement.

“Are we going into town right after lunch?” Timothy asked from Damian’s right.

“I believe so,” Damian nodded. “I do wish to see Bat-Cow first before leaving. Maybe give her some food.”

“Okay,” Tim agreed. “Can I bring Titus into town with us?”

“I don’t see why not,” Todd piped up again. “He’s a very obedient dog. I doubt he’d wander too far from you.”

“Okay cool,” it was Timothy’s turn to beam.

“You’ve grown pretty attached to that dog,” Todd chuckled as Damian saw Timothy sneak a piece of bread to Titus under the table.

“Yeah,” Timothy agreed, giggling as Titus licked his fingers. “He’s a great dog.”

“That he is,” Todd nodded in agreement. “Very loyal too.”

“I’ve noticed,” Timothy grinned, bending down a bit to pet Titus’s large head.

“We’ll finish up here then go,” Todd announced.

“Okay,” Timothy nodded.

Damian quickly finished his chili before excusing himself and heading to the barn. Once he was outside, he breathed in the crisp air. He could tell that snow was on the way. The air was cold enough for snow to stick. It made Damian a bit nervous at the thought, thinking back again to when he had been deathly ill from the fumes. He was grateful to be living in the manor now. He hoped the barn animals would be safe from the fumes in the barn.

When he finally reached the barn, he opened the large door and entered. He glanced around at the walls as he came in. The barn looked to be well insulated, which calmed his nerves a bit about Bat-Cow being safe. He couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face at the sight of his cow. She was chewing on some cud as he walked up to her.

“Hello beautiful,” he smiled, petting her side as she lifted her head. “How have you been?”

The cow mooed at him, nudging his free hand slightly before she went back to chewing. Getting the hint, Damian began to pet her face, glancing around before bending down and giving her a kiss. He really loved his cow. She was so cute. He honestly thought all cows were adorable and hated the thought of any of them being slaughtered for food. He wrapped his arms around Bat-Cow’s neck and gave her a gentle squeeze. “You happy to see me?” he asked, pausing to pull some fresh grass out of his jeans pocket. “I snuck this out of the greenhouse. Do not tell anyone.”

The cow mooed in reply, reaching her head forward to take the grass out of Damian’s palm. Damian gave her a bit more before he sat down on a wooden stool in her stable. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I do not know what to do,” he sighed at her. “My feelings for Timothy seem to increase daily. However, I do not want to come on strong by just announcing how I feel. That does not ever seem to end well with him.” He paused, listening out for any human footsteps. After hearing nothing he continued. “Why must I always be so brash? Why can I not be slow and gentle about my feelings? It is irritating.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I wish I could just ignore my feelings, but that is impossible at this point. Now that I know what these feelings are, they are hard to toss aside. Every time I so much as glance at him, I get excited. I am not sure how to handle it.”

Bat-Cow mooed in response, turning her large head to gaze at him. Damian stared at her for a few seconds before grinning. “You are so smart,” he gushed, petting her. “You always seem to know what I am saying. You are amazing.”

“Damian?” Timothy’s soft voice spoke through the barn. “Ready to go?”

“Yes,” Damian hollered back, before he turned to Bat-Cow. “I shall see you later. Enjoy the grass.”

Damian gave Bat-Cow a final pat before he stood and made his way out of the stable and toward Timothy.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip to town becomes dangerous. Titus and Wally come to the rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I'm pretty caught up with the uploading so I'm going to start sharing one chapter a day now.
> 
> As always, enjoy!

**Tim’s POV**

The walk to town was very chilly, the air crisp from winter. Tim was shivering by the time they reached town. He saw Damian give him a worried glance before suggesting to the others that they go into the medicine shop. Everyone agreed and followed him. Once they entered the shop, Tim breathed a sigh of relief. There was a fireplace going in the center of the shop, producing heat. Tim glanced around the shop as the soldiers picked out a few items. They then had Tim glance over the items to see if they had everything that was needed. Upon Tim’s nod, Jason and Wally went to pay for the supplies.

“Are you still cold?” Damian asked as Tim sat down near the fire.

“A bit,” Tim admitted softly, reaching down to pet Titus when he let out a soft woof. “But I’ll warm up a bit more before we leave.”

“How about you stay here while I get Richard his art supplies?” Damian asked. “I shall ask West to stay with you.”

Tim shrugged, indifferent. “I’m fine either way.”

“We do not want your fingers falling off from frostbite,” Damian argued. “So, you shall stay here.”

“Fine,” Tim rolled his eyes.

“Do not give me attitude, Timothy,” Damian huffed bending down to meet his gaze. “I am merely concerned for your safety.”

“Like always,” Tim sighed. “I’ll be fine.”

“Exactly, because you are staying here,” Damian snapped.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tim crossed his arms over his chest.

“I shall fetch West before I leave,” Damian spat as he stood and walked away.

Tim heaved an annoyed sigh once Damian was gone. “He’s such a pain sometimes,” he huffed as he continued to pet Titus. “I swear he sometimes acts like he’s older.” Titus gave out a snort before licking Tim’s hand. Tim smiled and bent down to give the dog a hug.  “At least you don’t act that way. You’re a good dog.”

Titus woofed happily in reply, tail wagging softly. Tim pulled back when he heard footsteps approach him. He glanced back to see Wally heading toward him. Wally gave him a wave as he sat down beside him. “Damian and Jason just left to go to the art store,” he supplied as he reached down to pet Titus. “The other soldiers went to a food store for Alfred.”

Tim just nodded in reply. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Going rigid, Tim glanced around. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, so he forced himself to relax. He was sure someone had been watching him, but he didn’t see anyone looking his way. He unconsciously shifted closer to Titus for comfort. Titus, feeling his owner’s distress, sat up and rested his large head across Tim’s lap.

“Everything okay?” Wally asked from his left. “You look a bit distraught.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Tim nodded. “Just had a weird feeling.”

“Yeah?” Wally asked, green eyes shifting around the store.

Tim nodded. “I felt like someone was watching me.” He shuddered.

Wally suddenly stood and headed to the left corner of the store. Tim jumped slightly upon seeing him draw his sword. Suddenly, Titus leaped forward with a growl. Tim’s attention immediately shifted toward his loyal dog, who was standing tall and growling at a large man. The man backed up a bit and held up his hands, Tim seeing a syringe in his left. Tim’s chest suddenly tightened in panic. Had that man been planning on drugging him?

“Who are you?” Wally suddenly appeared in front of Tim with his now bloody sword drawn. “Why are you following us? What is your purpose here?”

The man’s face had originally been hidden by a large top hat, but, when he finally lifted his head, Tim saw that he was wearing clown makeup. Tim let out a gasp of shock and his blood instantly ran cold. This man was working for the Joker.

“I think you should leave now,” Wally bit out. You don’t wanna end up like your friend over there.”

Tim glanced back to where Wally had previously been. There was a different man on the floor, seeming to be bleeding out. Upon closer examination, Tim saw some smeared clown makeup on him as well. Tim swallowed as there was a roaring in his ears. He fell to the ground, his chest constricting. He struggled to get breath into his lungs.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed until he felt a familiar hard body press up against his. His right hand was suddenly grabbed and placed on a broad chest. Tim blinked up and could see Damian through his tears. He hadn’t even realized he was crying.

“Breathe, Timothy,” Damian was instructing smoothly. “Breathe with me.”

Tim felt Damian take a deep breath and he struggled to copy him. He managed a hitching breath and Damian praised him. He jumped slightly at feeling something wet swipe across his left cheek, he glanced down and saw Titus pawing at him. Tim reached out with his free hand and Titus licked it. The dog’s slobber seemed to help him out of his panic attack for he suddenly found breathing much easier. He managed to take three deep inhales before the roaring in his ears vanished.

“Better?” Damian asked from above him.

Tim could only nod in reply. He glanced back at where the clown guy had been bleeding and saw the rest of the soldiers cleaning up the blood from the floor. He then glanced in front of himself and noticed the other man was gone.

“Where did he go?” Tim asked timidly.

“West allowed him to escape,” Damian sounded disappointed. “If it had been me, I would have ended him.”

Tim couldn’t stop the sharp chuckle that escaped his lips. Damian glanced down at him worriedly. “This is just icing on the cake,” he spoke bitterly. “The damn Joker has taken an interest in me. This is just what I needed.”

“Calm yourself,” Damian scolded. “You are safe and will continue to be safe under my care.”

“Can we just go?” Tim asked, deciding to stare at the floor.

“Of course,” Tim felt Damian nod.

Damian stood then helped Tim to his feet. The rest of the soldiers followed at they all left the warm shop and entered the bitter cold. Tim instantly shivered as a strong wind blew. Damian was about to wrap an arm around Tim, but Tim pushed him away.

“I’m fine,” he snapped, immediately feeling guilty at his outburst. “I just…I need some space.”

Damian just nodded wordlessly, instead taking off his winter coat and wrapping it around Tim’s thin shoulders. Tim sighed but allowed the gesture, realizing how warm the coat was from Damian’s body heat. Even with the extra coat, he was freezing. He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized the large gates that led to the manor.

Upon entering the manor, the soldiers each went their separate ways, Jason giving Damian a small nod before heading toward Bruce’s office. As shivers wracked his small body, Tim made his way to his own room. He decided he would get under the heavy covers on his bed and warm up with Titus at his side. However, as soon as he reached his doorway, he felt Damian’s large hands guide him to Dick’s. Tim heaved an annoyed sigh but allowed Damian to guide him. He was too cold and tired to care at this point. Dick glanced up from the book he was reading.

“Hey guys,” he grinned. “How was your trip to town?”

“Terrible,” Tim replied bitterly.

Dick’s smile dimmed. “What happened?”

“Later,” Tim practically begged, a large shiver going through his body.

“Damn Tim,” Dick was instantly standing and pulling back the covers of his bed. “You look like you’re freezing.”

“That’s because I am,” Tim snapped, teeth chattering.

“Well, get in,” Dick slid in the bed first and patted the spot beside him.

Tim immediately hopped on the bed and cuddled to Dick’s side, letting out a soft sigh as he felt Dick’s body heat seep through his cold clothes. He jumped slightly at feeling Damian sit on the bed as well. He didn’t object, however, when Damian scooted to his back. Damian pulled the covers over all three of them and Tim rested his head on Dick’s chest, sighing at hearing his calm heartbeat. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to relax under the comfort of his brothers. He would warn Dick about his safety later, for now he was going to warm up and possibly take a small nap.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone at the manor prepares for war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, things are about to get heated after this chapter. Be prepared.

**Damian’s POV**

Upon entering the dining room the next morning, Damian noticed two things. Connor was at the table again and Bruce looked a bit worried. Damian let out an annoyed huff as Connor turned to look at him. Connor’s gaze seemed to linger for a moment before he turned back to talk to Roy. Alfred finally came in with their breakfast before he excused himself and left the room.

Bruce suddenly cleared his throat and stood. “I have an announcement to make,” he spoke solemnly. “Last night, someone broke into our barn and stole some of our livestock. Some of our water supply is gone too. There was a message written to me by Joker and Scarecrow. We are now at war.”

The soldiers all murmured at this new information.

“Now, I know there aren’t many soldiers here,” he continued. “So, I am going to ask that a group of you go into town and recruit. We will need about one hundred soldiers in addition to you guys. Jason, you will be in charge of training them. Clark and I will be discussing battle strategies with Dick and Damian. Since Damian was once trained as an assassin, his intel will be vital to our fights. Tim, I want you to gather enough money that we can use to pay each recruit. I feel that if they get paid, they will be more loyal to us. Joker and Scarecrow have a way of being persuasive. Does everyone understand their roles?”

A chorus of yes echoed down the table.

“Good, we will eat breakfast before beginning our tasks,” Bruce nodded before he sat back down.

The murmurs among the soldiers continued despite Bruce being done with his speech. Damian glanced over at his brothers. They each had solemn looks on their faces. Last night, Damian and Timothy had told Richard about their trip into town. Richard had been worried for Timothy at first, until Damian reminded him that the Joker could be after him as well. Then Richard decided that both he and Timothy would stay at the manor until the war was over.

Damian saw Connor staring at Timothy out of the corner of his eye. He turned and gave him an evil glare, causing Connor’s face to pale slightly. Satisfied, Damian turned back to his brothers with a smirk and tuned in to their conversation.

“Do you think there’s enough drinkable water left for all of us?” Timothy was asking Todd, who had decided months ago to always sit with the brothers.

“I’m not sure,” Todd frowned, pushing at the eggs on his plate. “I’d imagine so or Bruce would’ve told us to conserve.”

“True,” Timothy nodded in agreement. “So we’ll be alright.”

“Yep,” Todd popped, a small smile on his face.

Damian’s gaze shifted when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Bruce was standing and making his way to the brothers. He bent down by Damian’s chair and leaned in. “I wanted to tell you this privately,” he started, glancing around at the other boys. “But your cow was one of the livestock that was stolen.”

Damian’s stomach dropped. “Are you certain?” he asked, feeling a bit of panic rise in him.

“I’m afraid so,” Bruce nodded solemnly.

“Then we must get her back,” he snapped, standing and beginning to pace. “We must find Joker’s base and attack.”

“We aren’t sure where his base is yet,” Bruce sighed straightening up. “I’ve sent Barbara, Stephanie, and Cassandra out to find it. They are very good at keeping a low profile.”

“Very well,” Damian replied. “Alert me on any news.”

Bruce’s face turned into a slight smirk. “Will do,” he agreed before he went back to his place at the table.

Timothy suddenly leaned over to Damian, causing his gaze to shift to him. Timothy looked concerned. “I’m sorry about Bat-Cow,” he mumbled shyly. “I’m sure you’re worried. I know I would be if someone took Titus from me.”

“Yes, I am worried,” Damian admitted. “Hopefully Joker will not be stupid and harm her.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to get on your bad side,” Todd chuckled nervously. “Joker has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.”

“Scarecrow as well,” Damian huffed, pushing his half-eaten food aside. “If he gives her his fear toxin, I shall kill him slow and painfully. Joker shall have a painful death as well if he poisons her.”

“Like I said, they have no idea what they just did to themselves,” Todd said.

“They basically dug their own graves,” Richard piped up with a laugh before he turned to Timothy. “Hey Tim, do you wanna go to the greenhouse after breakfast? I need a bit of time to think before we get into all of this planning.”

“Sure,” Timothy nodded, turning to Damian and Todd. “You guys wanna go too?”

“I can’t,” Todd sighed placing his fork down. Bruce wants to meet with me privately right after breakfast.”

“I shall go,” Damian nodded, watching as Timothy’s face lit up. “I shall need time to think as well. The greenhouse is an excellent place to think.”

“Great,” Timothy grinned, causing Damian’s heart to flutter. “We’ll be done eating in a few minutes.”

As soon as all three boys finished their breakfast, they headed to the greenhouse. Damian listened as Richard immediately breathed in the plants’ scents. “I love it in here,” he gushed as he sat down on a bench by the glass wall. “It’s everything the Earth used to be.”

“It is nice,” Damian agreed softly, his eyes traveling to Timothy.

Timothy plopped down on the stone bench next to Richard, suddenly grimacing. “This bench is really hard,” he complained, standing to rub his butt a bit.

“Well, maybe if you ate more it wouldn’t hurt so much,” Richard chastised, watching as Timothy took a seat in the grass instead.

Timothy waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah,” he sighed.

“Timothy, we are serious about you eating more,” Damian spoke carefully as he took a seat in the grass next to Timothy. “You could become sickly if you do not gain some weight.”

“I don’t need to gain any weight,” Timothy huffed. “I need to lose some more.”

“What?” Richard squawked in surprise. “No you don’t.”

“Yes I do,” Timothy suddenly snapped. “I don’t know why you guys can’t see that. I’m still fat.”

“Tim—”

Before Richard could continue, there was a sound of glass breaking. All three brothers jumped to their feet, wary of the noise. Damian stood in front of his brothers and pulled out his new sword. “Stay behind me,” he instructed as his eyes traveled along the bushes and trees.

Suddenly something cylindrical rolled in front of Damian’s feet. Before Damian could warn his brothers to duck, the thing exploded with flashing light and smoke. Damian struggled to regain his bearings as he choked on the smoke. His eyes were still messed up from the sudden flash. “Richard? Timothy?” he called, jumping as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Here,” Richard coughed.

Suddenly, Timothy let out a scream. Damian turned and saw the Joker and Scarecrow standing there. Timothy was in Joker’s arms and there was a knife at his throat. Joker’s face split into an evil grin. “Don’t move or I kill him,” he chuckled maniacally.  

“What do you want?” Richard bit out from beside Damian.

“That’s easy,” the clown giggled. “I want you.”

Richard let out a gasp of surprise. Damian growled and placed himself between the two villains and his brother. “Over my dead body,” he snapped, hands clenched.

“That can be arranged,” Scarecrow smirked.

Suddenly Damian felt a prick at the back of his neck. He felt there and pulled out a blow dart. Almost immediately, his body crumpled to the ground. His vision blurred as he heard both Richard and Timothy screaming for him. He grit his teeth and struggled to move anything, but his body wasn’t cooperating. Before he passed out, he saw his brothers being dragged out of the greenhouse.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian wakes up in the infirmary with more questions than answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Things are going to be heavy for a while. Be mindful of the tags I have placed. I will have a warning for some chapters in particular at the beginning of the chapter in case you wish to skip the bad stuff. 
> 
> As always, read and enjoy!

**Damian’s POV**

As he came to, he could hear concerned murmurs coming from his right. Struggling to open his eyes, Damian tried to remember what had happened. His whole body was aching in a bad way and he groaned a bit at the soreness. Immediately, the murmuring stopped before a deep voice spoke. “Damian, are you with us?”

Damian finally managed to open his eyes and look around. He was in the infirmary with Bruce, Todd, and Alfred looking at him with concern. “Yes,” he hissed. “I am here.”

He watched as the stances of each man relaxed slightly. “You gave us a bit of a scare,” Todd admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“What happened?” Damian asked, his eyes widening. “Richard and Timothy…they’ve been kidnapped.”

“Yeah, we kinda figured,” Todd spoke again. “There was some broken glass when I went to check on you guys. I saw you on the ground and I couldn’t find Dick or Tim.”

Damian suddenly swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I must find them,” he gasped, his head swimming.

“No,” Bruce growled. “Lay back down.”

“Why?” Damian snapped, looking up to glare at his father.

“You were poisoned,” Bruce snapped back. “You convulsed as Jason was bringing you here. You need to rest.”

“No,” Damian suddenly shouted, panic rising in his stomach. “I must find my brothers.”

He tried to stand again only to have Todd push him back down. “You are no help to them in this state,” he spoke harshly. “You need to overcome the poison first.”

“Fuck you,” Damian spat. “You do not understand.”

“I don’t?” Todd looked at him in disbelief. “I care about them as much as you do.”

“You do not,” Damian argued. “If you did, you would be out there looking for them.”

“You don’t think I’ve already tried?” Todd suddenly shouted, instantly silencing Damian’s thoughts. “I was out there in the acid snow looking for them for hours. I finally came back when my metal armor started to deteriorate from the acid. Barbara, Stephanie, and Cassandra are still looking for Joker’s base. When they find it, we’ll attack.”

“That could take days or weeks,” Damian objected with a frown. “They may not have that long.”

Bruce let out a sad sigh and sat down on the edge of Damian’s bed. “I know,” he admitted. “But that’s all we can do right now. I will be assembling troops soon. We need to have numbers. I’d imagine that Joker and Scarecrow have been planning this for some time and already have many soldiers. We need as many soldiers as possible if we are to defeat them and get Dick and Tim home safe.”

Damian heaved a large sigh as he thought about what Bruce had said. He hated to admit that Bruce was right. If Damian just walked in there with no plan, he would be killed, and Richard and Timothy wouldn’t be saved. He had to be smart about this, and it seemed that Bruce had thought this through.

“Very well,” Damian finally agreed. “What shall we do for now?”

“I need you to create some battle plans for me,” Bruce answered. “I have each of my main soldiers listed. I have written down their strengths and weaknesses. You need to use this to your advantage if we are going to save Dick and Tim. I will have you and Connor go in to save them while Jason and I distract Joker and Scarecrow. We will need the base’s blueprints first, and I’m sure Cassandra can get those for us.”

“Is Cassandra a spy?” Damian asked, curiosity piqued.

“No,” Bruce answered. “She was trained as an assassin, like you were. Her father was obsessed with getting her to be the best assassin there was. Instead of teaching her how to talk, read, and write, he taught her to kill. She is no longer a murderer now and Barbara is working on teaching her to read and write. She can speak some now, but it’s difficult for her.”

Damian gaped in surprise. “And I thought my mother was harsh,” he whispered.  

“You two have a lot in common,” Bruce agreed softly before he straightened. “I need to have a meeting with the rest of the soldiers. You get some rest. I’ll stop by to see you later on. Maybe you will feel well enough by then to move around.”

Damian nodded in agreement, suddenly clutching his head as a wave of nausea hit him. He swallowed down a bit of bile before glancing up again. Bruce, Todd, and Alfred were looking at him with worry. “I am fine,” he snapped. “I just got a bit nauseous. I will live.”

Bruce just nodded before he and Jason left the room. Alfred went about checking Damian’s vitals before he too left, mumbling about fetching some vegetable broth for Damian to consume.

Once Damian was alone, he allowed his shoulders to sag with worry. What were Scarecrow and Joker doing to his brothers? Would they still be alive by the time they found them? With all of these thoughts in his head, Damian clenched his hands into fists and waited, hoping he could heal quickly enough to aid in the rescue of his brothers.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick wakes up in an old jail cell. He and Tim realize they're in some serious trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this chapter is very angsty. There's molestation in it so if that triggers you, please don't read it.

**Dick’s POV**

The first thing Dick noticed when he came to was the pain his body was in. He was sore all over. Dick’s sluggish mind struggled to remember what had happened. He remembered being in the greenhouse when…

Dick’s eyes flew open and he surveyed his surroundings. He looked to be in an old jail cell that was decaying with age. His back was to the bars and upon shifting slightly, he realized his hands were handcuffed behind his back. He hissed through clenched teeth as he jarred his left shoulder. Peering at it, Dick realized it was dislocated. He had his shoulders dislocated once before and knew the signs. He also knew that he would need help to set it back in place. He then realized he was cold. As he glanced down, he noticed that all of his clothes were gone. The only thing keeping him covered were his red briefs.

A thought suddenly occurred to him and he glanced around frantically. His heart clenched when he saw Tim’s limp form in the cell to the left of his. He gazed at his brother through the dim lighting and saw that he had some blood caked in his hair and down his right temple.

“Tim?” Dick hissed, glancing around to see if anyone was with them. “Tim, are you okay?”

Upon getting no reply, Dick began to panic. Was Tim severely hurt? Was he just unconscious or in too much pain to reply? Dick could feel his chest tightening and forced his mind to calm down. Having a panic attack wouldn’t help matters. He took a few deep breaths and managed to calm himself. Suddenly, there was a soft groan to his left. Dick’s head whipped over to Tim. “Tim?” he called hopefully.

Another groan sounded before he heard Tim’s soft voice. “Dick?” he mumbled, lifting his head slightly to look around.

“Tim,” Dick felt so relieved. “Are you injured?”

Tim winced slightly as he moved his head toward Dick’s voice. “My head,” his speech was slurred.

Dick shifted slightly so he could get a better look. “You could have a concussion,” he mumbled as he squinted at the gash on Tim’s temple. “Do you remember what happened?”

“We were in the greenhouse with Damian…” Tim trailed off. “Is Damian here? Is he alright?”

Dick glanced around. There were a few empty cells to his right. “I don’t see him,” he admitted. “I don’t think they took him with us.”

Tim’s stance seemed to relax slightly. “Good,” he mumbled. “Maybe he can find us.”

“I have no doubt that he will,” Dick agreed. “We just need to be strong until then.”

“Such strong words for someone who is running out of luck,” a voice giggled.

Dick jumped slightly as he felt a hand slide up his right arm. He whipped his head around and saw the Joker grinning at him hungrily. Dick immediately recoiled at his touch, causing the Joker to laugh.

“I’ve had my eye on you two for quite some time,” Joker admitted as his hand snaked around Dick’s neck. “You two would be the perfect slaves. I may sell you or keep you to myself. You both are very pretty.”

“Fuck off,” Dick hissed, choking a bit as Joker’s hand tightened.

“I believe you are in no position to be so defiant,” Joker whispered, his breath ghosting over Dick’s right ear. “If you behave, I will make all of this as painless as possible.”

“Go to hell,” Dick wheezed, struggling to get away from Joker’s touch.

Dick shuddered as Joker’s other hand began to play with his left nipple. “I like your spirit, kid,” Joker chuckled, lightly nipping Dick’s earlobe. “You will sell easily.”

“Leave him alone,” Tim’s voice sounded slightly desperate.

Dick’s vision was beginning to swim at the lack of oxygen. As Joker let go of his neck, Dick sucked in a lungful of air. He glanced to his left as Joker headed over to Tim. “Don’t,” Dick growled as the Joker reached for Tim’s soft cheek.

Joker giggled as he stroked Tim’s cheek. “You can’t stop me,” he taunted. “I can do whatever I want and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Dick saw Tim flinch and shudder, and he clenched his hands in to fists. “Leave him alone,” he snapped, struggling slightly against the handcuffs.

Dick suddenly flinched as he felt a gloved hand on his dislocated shoulder. He glanced back and saw the Scarecrow staring down at him. He couldn’t read Scarecrow’s face for he had some kind of sack over his head. He legit looked like a scarecrow in his outfit. Scarecrow bent down and freed Dick of his handcuffs. Instantly, Dick stood and backed up slightly, watching as Scarecrow unlocked his cell.

“Come here, pretty thing,” Scarecrow husked as he entered the cell. “We need to begin your training.”

“Fuck off,” Dick’s voice wavered in fear.

Scarecrow moaned. “You are just so adorable,” he laughed, inching forward. “I love it when a slave is scared.”

“I’m not a slave,” Dick snapped, his eyes darting around for an escape route.

“Oh, but you are now,” Joker giggled as he also freed Tim of his handcuffs. “And the sooner you accept it, the sooner you’ll be happy.”

“I’ll never accept it,” Dick spat as he dodged a touch from Scarecrow.

“Very well,” Scarecrow replied. “We have other means of persuading you.”

Scarecrow suddenly lunged forward and gripped onto Dick’s dislocated shoulder. Dick cried out at the pain, falling to his knees. He heard Scarecrow moan before he felt a hand grip his clothed cock. Dick hissed as the hand squeezed too hard. Scarecrow continued to grip Dick’s shoulder, keeping Dick immobile from the pain, as he tried to stroke Dick into hardness. Dick could hear Tim spatting profanities at Scarecrow as he glanced over. He saw Joker holding Tim still, forcing him to watch as Scarecrow molested Dick. Joker appeared to have a hard grip onto Tim’s chin, keeping Tim from escaping his hold.

“You know what you’re only good for?” Scarecrow whispered in Dick’s ear. “You’re only good for a fuck. You can’t even keep your brother safe from us, much less yourself. How do you live with yourself knowing what a failure you are?”

Dick grit his teeth as Scarecrow gave him another harsh squeeze. “Fuck you,” he spat, suddenly bringing his head back and slamming it into Scarecrow’s.

Scarecrow stumbled back in surprise as Dick rose to his feet. He dodged Scarecrow and ran out of his cell. As he headed to Joker, Joker suddenly pulled out a knife and held it tightly against Tim’s neck. Tim let out a soft whimper as it lightly pierced his skin. Dick froze, watching as a bit of blood bubbled out where the blade was.

“Now now,” Joker giggled, bending down to give Tim’s cheek a sloppy kiss. “We don’t want anything happening to this pretty thing, do we?”

Dick clenched his hands into fists as his eyes darted around, trying to figure out a new plan. He could feel Scarecrow coming up behind him. Tim suddenly let out a yelp as Joker gripped onto his chin too tightly. Joker’s hand began to inch down toward the elastic of Tim’s briefs.

“Don’t,” Dick pleaded, staring down at the floor. “I’ll do what you want.”

“Very good,” Joker hummed, his hands withdrawing to slide up Tim’s chest. “Crane, if you would please.”

Dick suddenly felt a prick at the side of his neck. He knew, without looking, that Scarecrow had injected something into him.

“This is a new version of my fear toxin,” Scarecrow sounded excited. “Pretty soon, you’ll be begging for your slave training.”

Dick swallowed nervously, his body relaxing slightly as Joker left Tim’s cell and locked it.

“We’ll start with you first,” Joker grinned. “Then we’ll move on to your young brother over there. If you behave, we’ll make his training as painless as possible.”

All Dick could do was nod, finally accepting his fate. If he could at least get Tim out of this mess, then he would accept whatever Joker and Scarecrow did to him. He just needed to form a plan on Tim’s escape. As Scarecrow led him back into his cell, Dick sent a prayer to the heavens, pleading that Tim could at least get out of this unscathed.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick struggles under the influence of Scarecrow's fear toxin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just a head's up. There's a bit of molesting again in this chapter along with implied rape. Please be aware of my tags before reading. Thank you.

**Tim’s POV**

Tim cursed under his breath as he watched Dick give in to Scarecrow and Joker. He knew Dick was trying to spare him from what they would do to him, but Tim was still pissed. Why did Dick always have to be the hero? Tim could’ve handled whatever Joker and Scarecrow did to him. He didn’t need Dick to sacrifice himself.

Scarecrow pushed Dick into his own cell and locked the door. “I’ll be back in an hour to observe,” he seemed to mumble to himself, pausing to wring his hands in excitement before leaving.

Joker then turned to Tim with an evil grin. “This goes both ways,” he giggled. “If you misbehave, we’ll make things harder on him.”

Tim gulped and nodded quickly, signaling that he understood. Joker just laughed and waved in reply before making his exit. Tim then turned to Dick, who had begun whimpering. “Dick?” he questioned as he crept toward Dick’s cell.

“S-stay back,” Dick whispered, his arms pulling up to protect his face.

“Dick, it’s me,” Tim tried. “It’s Tim.”

“My fault,” Dick whimpered, his body shaking violently.

“What’s your fault?” Tim questioned as he sat down as close as he could to Dick’s cell.

“It’s all my fault,” Dick continued, seeming to not have heard Tim. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m pathetic. I can’t even save you Tim. I couldn’t save my parents.” As Tim was about to reply. Dick suddenly let out a shriek. “I’m sorry. Please, don’t be mad at me.”

Tim tilted his head to the side, watching as Dick glanced up at something only he could see. Tears began to spew from Dick’s vivid blue eyes as he hiccupped. “Dick, what do you see?” Tim asked, dying to reached out and touch him.

“M-my parents,” Dick hissed, curling in on himself. “They’re staring at me, blaming me.”

“Dick, it’s not real,” Tim tried to reason. “It’s an illusion.”

Dick let out a gasp and flinched. “They’re touching me, burning my skin. Telling me I’m a failure for letting them die. Their eyes…they’re so lifeless.”

“Dick, look at me,” Tim commanded, suddenly deciding to take control.

Dick hesitated before he turned to look at Tim. He let out a hitched sob. “You’re not dead,” he seemed to be trying to reason with himself.

“No, I’m not dead,” Tim agreed. “Come here, feel my pulse. I’m alive.”

Tim reached out his arm through the bars and Dick flinched. He glanced back at the place he had been looking earlier before his dimming eyes turned back to Tim. “Not dead, not dead,” he began to say like a mantra, slowly reaching his hand forward. His hand wrapped around Tim’s wrist as he felt for a pulse. Tim watched as Dick seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“See? I’m alive,” Tim reasoned. “Your parents, they’re an illusion from the toxin.”

“Toxin,” Dick blinked slowly.

“Yeah, the fear toxin Scarecrow gave you, remember?” Tim was beginning to feel worried. Dick was looking at him in confusion, and that scared him. “Scarecrow gave you some fear toxin as punishment. You remember that, don’t you?”

Dick continued to stare at Tim, before he turned and let out a blood curdling scream. Tim jumped, his heart leaping into his throat at the noise. Tim reached out with his free hand and gripped Dick’s wrist. Dick’s screaming stopped, and he swiftly pulled away from Tim’s touch. “Don’t touch me,” he begged.

Tim held up his hands. “I won’t,” he agreed.

Dick’s eyes became distant for a few seconds before he began to cry again. It wasn’t a normal cry either. It was a cry that spoke fear and complete sadness. Tim’s heart lurched at the sound. He wanted to comfort Dick so badly, but he was unsure how. All he could do was watch as Dick became lost in the fears he was seeing.

**Dick’s POV**

His parents were staring at him with their lifeless eyes, their bodies contorted from their fall. They reached out and touched him, their skin burning his own. “It’s your fault we’re dead,” John Grayson spoke, glaring at Dick accusingly. “You did this to us.”

Dick choked on a sob as blood began to flow out of Mary’s mouth like a red river. “You,” she choked, pointing a crooked finger at him. “You can’t be our son anymore.”

Dick finally covered his eyes as he shook. Once his eyes were closed, however, he felt a breath at his ear. “You are very pretty,” the deep voice husked. “I can’t wait to get my hands on you.”

Dick’s breath hitched as he felt multiple hands roaming his body. He froze as a cold hand traveled down his stomach. “I wonder how big you are,” a different voice moaned. “You’re so young, I bet you don’t even have pubic hair yet.”

Dick flinched and curled into a ball, flinging his eyes open to relieve the feeling of the hands. But, when he opened his eyes, he could see all the men who had assaulted him in the past. Their hands roaming all over his body, touching him in ways he had never wanted. Dick could hear a familiar voice calling out to him, telling him something wasn’t real. Whose voice was that? It sounded so familiar, so loving. Where had he heard that voice before?

Dick wasn’t sure how long the hands touched him, or how long his accusing parents stood and watched with crooked smirks on their faces. He heard metal screeching against something and glanced away. There was a man with a horrifying mask looking down at him. Fire was coming out of his eyes and bats were spewing out of his grinning mouth. “How are you doing?” the voice was deep and scratchy, scary as hell.

Dick whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut in reply, flinching as the hands began to touch him again.

“Interesting,” the scary voice mumbled. “It appears you can feel touch that isn’t there. My new formula is a success.” The man laughed evilly, causing a chill to run up Dick’s spine. He screamed as he felt someone lift him off the cold concrete floor.

“Leave him alone,” that very familiar voice bit out. “Don’t touch him.”

“Oh, and what’re you gonna do if I decide to?” the scary voice chuckled.

The familiar voice then started spatting profanities as Dick was carried off somewhere. The voice became more and more faint until Dick stopped hearing it entirely. Dick let out a gasp as he fell onto something soft. As he opened his eyes he could see that he was on a mattress with that scary masked man leaning over him.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” the man said, a smirk in his voice. “I’ll make all of the scary things go away if you do exactly what I say.”

Dick glanced up at the man before looking behind him and seeing his parents sneering at him. Dick swallowed before looking back at the man and nodding.

“I want to hear it out loud,” the man laughed.

“I-I’ll do whatever you say,” Dick promised.

He flinched as he felt a gloved hand run across his cheek. “Good boy,” the man praised.

Everything else was a blur other than his parents’ dead accusing faces staring at him. Eventually, he felt a prick in his neck, blinking as he watched his parents begin to fade. Once his parents had completely vanished, Dick remembered where he was. He sat up and scooted back, noticing that he had bruises all over his body. Scarecrow loomed over him and suddenly gripped him by the neck. Dick thrashed in the Scarecrow’s hold, struggling to get free so he could breathe. His vision began to swim as he lost consciousness. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Scarecrow’s disgusting mask peering down at him.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian struggles with feeling helpless. Bruce tries to help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to post a second chapter of the day. I added a rape/ Non-con tag. However, I don't actually write about a rape occurring. I just put it in case the "implied rape" tag wasn't enough warning.
> 
> There's no rape or anything in this chapter, I just wanted to explain the new tag I put.

**Damian’s POV**

It had been two days since Bruce had sent Stephanie, Barbara, and Cassandra out to find Joker and Scarecrow’s base. So far, there had been no sight of them. Damian was becoming desperate, pacing the length of the manor. Sometimes he would get so upset that he would take it out on the practice dummies in the gym. Other times, he would snap at anyone willing to talk to him.

By day three, Damian began to pack his own sack full of necessities. Bruce and Jason were too busy training the new recruits to care about finding Richard and Timothy. So, he decided he would find them himself. As he was packing, Titus wandered into his room with his ears and tail drooped. He whined sadly, and Damian reached down to pet him. “Want to come with me?” he asked the large dog. “I could use your help on locating Richard and Timothy.”

Titus gave a soft woof in reply, his tail wagging slightly. He suddenly left the room, causing Damian to pause briefly in wonder. When Titus didn’t come back for a while, Damian shrugged and returned to packing. He was almost finished when he felt a nudge at his thigh. He glanced down to see Titus holding one of Timothy’s sweaters in his mouth. Damian reached for the sweater and took it from the dog, bringing the fabric up to his nose and giving it a deep whiff. He sighed sadly as Timothy’s scent filled his nose. Titus gave another whine and Damian reached down to pet him again. “I’ll get him back, Titus,” he promised, “Even if I have to die doing it.”

Suddenly there was a knock on his door, he turned to see Barbara standing in his doorway. “Hey Damian,” she smiled sadly at him before she glanced down at Titus. “We still haven’t found them yet, but I just got an idea.”

“Go on,” Damian nodded.

Barbara walked forward and reached for the sweater in Damian’s hands. Damian reluctantly handed it over. Barbara then bent down to let Titus sniff it. “Dogs have a great sense of smell,” she explained. “They can remember a scent they haven’t smelled in weeks. I’m guessing if we take Titus with us, he could pick up Tim’s or Dick’s scent and lead us to where they are being kept.”

“That…is actually very wise, Gordon,” Damian blinked in surprise. “Why have we not thought of this before?”

“I believe it’s because we’re all under a lot of stress,” Barbara supplied, bending down to pet a sad Titus. “But now that some time has passed, I think my mind has cleared enough to come up with this idea.”

“It is rather brilliant,” Damian complimented a bit shyly. “May I come with you?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Barbara sighed. “If we do find them, we need the element of surprise. I have a feeling you’d go in there with no plan upon seeing Tim and Dick.”

Damian’s shoulders sagged. “Most likely,” he admitted.

“We need to be practical and stealthy,” Barbara said.

“What about Titus’ paws?” Damian asked with an eyebrow raised. “They would burn from the acid snow.”

“We’ve got some metal boots already made for him,” Barbara suddenly grinned, briefly reminding Damian of Richard. “They should keep his paws safe.”

“Excellent,” Damian nodded. “In the meantime, I shall help prepare the soldiers. We will need as many as possible to infiltrate their base.”

“Alright, that works,” Barbara nodded. “We’ll be back as soon as we can with news. I will warn you that it could take another day or two.”

Damian breathed out an angry huff. “That is unacceptable,” he snapped.

“I’m sorry,” Barbara frowned. “We’re checking every nook and cranny; it takes time.”

Damian ran a hand through his already tousled hair. “Very well,” he finally replied. “I guess I will have to accept it then.”

“Good,” Barbara nodded. “With Titus, things could go by quicker. Thank you for letting us use him.”

“I believe his misses Timothy as much as I do,” Damian looked down at the dog fondly.

He suddenly jumped at feeling a small hand on his shoulder. He glanced up and saw Barbara staring at him sadly. “We’re doing everything we can,” she said softly.

“I know,” Damian’s shoulders drooped. “Thank you.”

Barbara just nodded in reply, taking Titus by the collar and leading him out of the room. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she suddenly popped her head around the doorframe. “Bruce is looking for you.”

“Very well,” Damian nodded. “I shall be there shortly.”

“Okay,” Barbara gave him a sad smile before she left.

Damian sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed. He knew showing emotions was a sign of weakness, but he could barely keep himself together at this rate. His imagination was running wild about how Timothy and Richard were being treated under captivity. All he wanted to do was kill the Joker and Scarecrow and bring his brothers back safely. Unfortunately, he knew that would take some time, and he was becoming very impatient.

“Ugh,” Damian dragged his fingers through his hair before putting his face in his hands. “Why can this not be simpler?”

He sighed, finally standing and making his way toward Bruce’s office. As he passed the gym, he could hear Todd instructing the new soldiers. It was a good thing the gym was huge enough to fit nearly two hundred soldiers. Damian glanced in before continuing to Bruce’s office. When he finally got there, he knocked on the door and waited for Bruce’s invitation before entering.

Bruce was writing something as usual. He glanced up upon Damian’s arrival. “Have a seat,” he said before he looked back down at his paper. “I’ll be with you shortly.”

“Very well,” Damian nodded, deciding to take a seat on the armchair to his right.

 He squirmed a bit as he waited for Bruce to finish. Why had Bruce called on him? Was Damian becoming too much of a burden? Would Damian need to move back into their old hut?

He glanced up as he heard Bruce settle back in his chair. Bruce had put down his pen and was staring at Damian. “I’ve heard that you’ve been having a hard time,” he began, resting his elbows on the oak desk.

“Of course I have,” Damian spat. “You would too if two people you cared about were captured and being tortured.”

Bruce nodded in reply. “I just think you need to meditate,” he said. “When was the last time you did that?”

Damian blushed slightly. “Not since before they were captured,” he admitted. “But I have not been able to concentrate.”

“Understandable,” Bruce nodded slowly. “That’s why I’m going to help you.”

“How?” Damian rose an eyebrow in question.

“I’m going to meditate with you,” Bruce replied, smiling in amusement at Damian’s shock. “After everything that has happened, I need to meditate too. Now, let’s go sit on the floor and begin.”

All Damian could do was nod, following his father as they sat on the floor and began to meditate.


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick plans an escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, mentions of molestation and rape.
> 
> Alright guys, I think this fic is almost over. Not sure how many more chapters there are left yet. I wanted to thank you all for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos. I really appreciate it.

**Dick’s POV**

It had been three days. Three agonizing days since Dick and Tim had been captured. They had both been tortured by Scarecrow’s fear toxin to the point where they begged to do whatever the two men wanted in order for it to end. They had both been molested on different occasions and Dick had even been raped at one point, but both brothers stayed strong because they had each other.

However, after a particularly hard session with Joker, Tim found himself sobbing, clutching onto Dick through the bars that separated them. He could tell Dick was furious by how stiff he was. Dick eventually leaned into his ear and whispered to him. “I have an escape plan.”

Tim pulled back to gaze at his brother. “What?” he asked, a bit surprised.

“I have an escape plan,” Dick repeated.

“Dick, you’re crazy,” Tim sighed, wiping at his dripping nose. “You know they’ll hurt us if we try.”

“Yes,” Dick nodded. “But if we succeed, we can go home.”

Tim heaved a big sigh. “What did you have in mind?”

Later that night, both Dick and Tim were pretending to be asleep. Sometimes, Scarecrow would sneak into one of their cells and paly with their hair while they slept. This was what they were counting on for Scarecrow was the one with the keys. Scarecrow seemed to be attracted to Dick the most, so Dick was planning on being the one to defeat him.

Just as planned, Scarecrow crept into the large room. He slowly opened Dick’s cell door and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Dick’s back was to Scarecrow, and Dick evened his breathing out so it looked like he was asleep. A few seconds passed before he felt Scarecrow’s gloved hand in his hair. Dick waited for a few more seconds before striking. He reached his right hand up and grasped Scarecrow’s wrist, twisting under him and pulling Scarecrow with him. Scarecrow let out a yelp of surprise before his head hit the concrete floor hard. Almost immediately, he passed out. Dick took a few moments to breathe, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, before feeling around for Scarecrow’s keys. He froze slightly as Scarecrow moved. Just to be on the safe side, Dick gripped onto Scarecrow’s head and slammed it back into the concrete again. Once Scarecrow stilled, Dick found the keys and ran to unlock his cell.

“We don’t have much time before Joker notices,” he whispered to Tim as he ran to unlock Tim’s cell. “We need to move fast.”

Tim just nodded in reply, rushing into Dick’s arms as soon as his cell door swung back. Dick took a moment to enjoy the hug before pulling back and ushering Tim forward. He gripped onto Tim’s head and led him out of the large room full of cells. They reached a gray metal door and Dick quickly found the key to unlock it. Then they ran down the hall that was full of doors that led to bedrooms. Dick shuddered slightly at recognizing the room Scarecrow had taken him to. He felt Tim squeeze his hand reassuringly, and he squeezed back. There was an old exit sign up above a door, and Dick found himself breathing a sigh of relief. He pushed the heavy door open and was met with bitter cold air. Both he and Tim were still only in briefs. Dick cursed at realizing there was still snow on the ground.

“Dick?” Tim’s voice was shaky.

“We have to, Tim,” Dick sighed, glancing back. “It’ll hurt for a while, but it’s worth it if we can escape.”

He saw Tim nod and he turned back, putting his right foot into the snow. He clenched his teeth as his foot immediately began to burn. He pushed on, though, and could soon feel Tim flinch behind him. They ran across the snow for a few seconds, making their way around the building toward where some trees were. Just as they were nearing the forest, Dick felt Tim go down. He halted and turned, seeing Tim’s body convulse before stilling. Dick was just about to pick him up when he felt white hot pain travel over his body. His body also began to convulse and he fell in the snow. He struggled to stand, glancing up as he did so. His blood suddenly went cold at what he saw.

Joker was standing right in front of him with an evil grin on his face and holding some sort of gun. Dick was confused for a few seconds because gun powder use would make the air explode from the unstable atmosphere.

“Ah, this isn’t a regular gun,” Joker grinned down at him, causing Dick to clutch to Tim’s hand tightly. “This is a stun gun. It sends a pulse of electricity through your body so I can catch you.” Joker pushed the button again and Dick let out a scream as electricity went through him. Once he was able to catch his breath again. He saw Joker grin. “You two have been very bad boys,” he tutted.

 Dick glanced back as he heard Tim let out a shriek. Scarecrow was there holding his brother against his chest. “Looks like they need to be taught a lesson, Joker,” the man said, a grin in his voice.

“Yes, it appears so,” Joker giggled before he pulled Dick’s limp body into his arms. “Back inside we go for your punishment.”

Dick wanted to struggle, but his body was exhausted from the stun gun. All he could do was watch as Joker carried him back into the boring metal building.


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian hears some good news. Bruce plans for a battle.

**Damian’s POV**

“We found them,” were the first words out of Barbara’s mouth two more days later.

Damian felt his chest tighten with excitement or happiness, he wasn’t sure. He listened intently as Barbara told Todd and Bruce what they were up against.

“They have at least three hundred soldiers scattered around the building,” Barbara was saying. “Cassie and I were able to take a peek inside and Bruce, it doesn’t look good. Both Dick and Tim look exhausted and have bruises all over their bodies. As far as I can tell, neither of them are able to walk because their injuries are too severe. We need to act fast. Tim could have internal bleeding.

“Cassie was able to steal the blueprints for the whole building and we know exactly where the boys are being kept. They appear to be the only ones captured right now. It doesn’t look like Joker has any other slaves there.”

“Timothy and Richard are _not_ slaves,” Damian spat out at the information.

“I didn’t say they were,” Barbara frowned.

“You implied it,” Damian grit his teeth. Titus whined beside him and he reached down to pet him. “What of Bat-Cow? Did you see her?”

“No,” Barbara sighed. “But I did see what looked to be a small shed near the building. Maybe they keep the livestock there.”

“Good work Barbara,” Bruce nodded. “I will get the soldiers ready for battle. Clark, you’ll be in charge of the actual battle. I need to go with Jason, Damian, and Wally to get Dick and Tim. That’s priority alpha.”

“Of course, babe,” Clark nodded from beside his lover.  Damian fought the urge to gag.

“I thought you wished for Connor to help,” Damian frowned.

“I did,” Bruce agreed. “However, I know you would object. It’s better if Wally goes.”

“Very well,” Damian could feel the smirk threatening to reach his face. “May Titus come too? He would ease Timothy a bit.”

“Sure,” Bruce nodded. “As long as he stays out of the actual battle.”

“I believe he would be too focused on finding Timothy,” Damian admitted as he scratched behind the dog’s ears. “He has missed him greatly.”

Bruce just nodded before standing from his desk. “Clark and I will go alert the men. Alfred, prepare the infirmary for Tim and Dick’s arrival. I have a feeling we’ll be busy dealing with their injuries. As for the hired soldiers, they can go to Gotham’s hospital. I doubt we have enough room for them. For my usual soldiers, they can go to the infirmary too.”

“Of course, Sir,” Alfred nodded with a slight bow.

“Damian,” Bruce then turned to his son. “I expect you to do whatever Wally tells you to do. He has been at this longer than you and therefore is in charge of extracting your brothers. Don’t disappoint me.”

“Yes Father,” Damian agreed. “I will not let you, or my brothers, down.”

“Good,” Bruce nodded. “Clark, let’s go.”

Clark stood and began to follow Bruce out of the room. He paused, however, to give Damian’s shoulder a pat, before continuing on. Damian watched them go before standing. “I shall prepare for our departure,” he told Barbara. “Thank you for finding my brothers.”

“You’re welcome,” Barbara gave him a small smile.

Later that day, Damian was in Timothy’s room packing a change of clothes when he heard a knock on the door. He turned to see Todd leaning against the doorframe. “What’re you doing?” he asked, head tilted.

“I am preparing a change of clothes for Timothy,” Damian answered before he turned back to his task. “Gordon told me that they were both half naked, so I feel I must pack some clothes. I have already gotten some for Richard.”

“That’s really smart,” Todd complimented.

“Thank you,” Damian nodded. “I just wish to be prepared. I have also packed a couple blankets.”

“Good idea,” Todd agreed. “Are you anxious?”

Damian turned back to Todd. “A bit,” he admitted. “If our plan does not work, both Timothy and Richard could suffer. I hope all goes well.”

“Yeah, me too,” Todd agreed. “But you’ll have Bruce and me backing you up, as well as Titus. I doubt anything will go wrong, and if something does, you have your own training to fall back on. I have a feeling it will all be a success.”

“I hope you are right, Todd,” Damian sighed, sitting down on the edge of Timothy’s bed. “I do wish for no one to get injured.”

“Same,” Todd nodded, standing straight and tentatively walking toward Damian. He sat down next to him and placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder. “I know you have romantic feelings for Tim. I can tell because you act the way I feel around Dick. How about we make a pact?”

“What kind of pact?” Damian turned to Todd curiously.

“How about we both promise to tell them how we feel about them once they’re rescued,” Todd said, giving Damian a small smile. “I had wanted to tell Dick after the battle anyway but then he got captured.”

Damian pondered what Todd had said before nodding. “Alright,” he agreed. “I shall make that pact with you.”

Todd removed his hand from Damian’s shoulder and held it out. “Let’s shake on it,” he smiled.

Damian hesitated briefly before taking Todd’s hand and shaking it, letting it go soon after. “Now if you will excuse me, I must continue to pack.”

“Of course,” Todd nodded, hiding a smile and standing. “I’ll see you later.”

“Very well,” Damian nodded, returning to his task.

He heard Todd get up and leave the room before he focused on preparing for Timothy’s arrival.


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Dick get punished by Joker and Scarecrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 
> 
> This chapter is angsty so be prepared. Also, rape is implied in this chapter.

**Tim’s POV**

As they were dragged back into the building, fear gripped tightly to Tim. He knew things wouldn’t end well for himself and Dick. He also had a feeling that Dick would struggle to get most of the punishments onto him instead of Tim. Tim frowned slightly at the thought. He wouldn’t allow that to happen; Dick had already suffered enough to save him.

Tim suddenly grunted as he was tossed to the concrete floor of the large room. He had been placed in his old cell. He heard a grunt to his left and saw that Dick was in his old cell too. Scarecrow had a hand wrapped around Dick’s throat, slightly cutting off Dick’s air supply. Tim could tell that Dick’s body was still slack from the stun gun.

He struggled to sit up. “This was my idea,” he began, his eyes locking with Dick’s wide ones. “Don’t punish Dick on my behalf.”

“But that’s how the games goes,” Joker giggled as he headed over to Dick with a crowbar. “If one of you misbehaves, the other gets punished.”

“He’s right,” Dick croaked against Scarecrow’s hand. “It was his idea. Punish me, not him.”

“I lied before,” Tim suddenly spoke out frantically, seeing Joker inch closer. “It was Dick’s idea. He was the one who came up with it. Please, leave him be and punish me.”

“Oh, you will both be punished,” Scarecrow spoke into Dick’s ear. Tim saw Dick shudder. “First, we will shatter this one’s ankle bones so that he can’t escape again. Then we will beat you to oblivion.”

“See? Everyone wins,” Joker grinned, before he swung the crowbar down onto Dick’s right ankle.

Tim’s eyes widened as he saw Dick bite his lip. He bit it so hard that blood began to dribble down his chin. Joker seemed unsatisfied with the reaction, so he hit Dick again, grinning as Dick let out a pained yelp. Dick struggled to pull his ankle in toward his body, but Scarecrow tightened his hold onto Dick’s neck and reached out to hold onto his ankles. All Tim could do was watch since his body wouldn’t cooperate with him.

Tim wasn’t sure how much time had passed as Joker continued to beat onto each of Dick’s ankles. By the time he was done, Dick was a sobbing mess and both of his feet were swollen and bloody.

Tim then flinched back as Joker headed toward him with the bloody crowbar. “It’s your turn,” he growled with an evil grin.

Tim scooted back slightly upon seeing Joker raise the crowbar above his head. He had expected the first blow. However, he didn’t expect it to hurt so much. A cry slipped from his lips as he felt the hard blow to his left cheek. He could tell that his cheekbone was broken upon impact.

The blows continued all over his body. Tim wasn’t sure how much time had passed. He was almost delirious from the pain by the time the Joker stopped hitting him. As Joker pulled away, Tim rolled over slightly and coughed up a bit of blood onto the gray floor. He could hear Dick beside him, pleading Scarecrow to stop doing something. He squinted an eye open and saw Scarecrow hovering over a completely naked Dick. He closed his eyes against at the sight of his brother’s terrified face. He assumed that Scarecrow had slipped him some fear toxin.

“Have you boys learned your lesson?” Joker laughed, bending down to lift Tim’s chin.

“Yes,” Tim rasped out, his eyes tearing up from the pain he was in.

“Good,” Joker grinned, slinging the crowbar over his shoulder. “We’ll come to check on you in a few hours.”

Joker skipped, yes skipped, out of the cell, holding it open for Scarecrow, before closing and locking the door. Tim couldn’t believe how relieved he was that they left Dick in the cell with him. Tim waited for the two men to leave the room before he turned to Dick. He could see Dick sobbing, curling in on himself.

“Dick?” he rasped, his eyes slipping closed involuntarily. The pain was really starting to get to him now.

He heard Dick shifting closer, flinching slightly at feeling a cold hand on his back. “Tim I’m so sorry,” he whispered, a sob escaping his mouth. “This is all my fault. I’m a failure.”

Tim found himself shaking his head. “You aren’t a failure,” he argued. “You’re a great brother.”

“I’m not,” Dick sobbed. Tim felt him scoot closer before laying down and curling up next to him. “I did this to you. I did all of this to you.”

“No you didn’t,” Tim replied. “Joker and Scarecrow did.”

“Because of me,” Dick cried, burying his face in Tim’s matted hair.

Tim reached blindly behind him, seeking Dick’s hand. He felt Dick grasp his hand and he gave it a squeeze. “I don’t blame you,” Tim admitted to him. “And neither should you.”

“But Scarecrow said—”

“He’s only saying that shit to break you,” Tim suddenly snapped, giving Dick’s hand another squeeze. “Don’t let what he says get to you.”

He heard Dick give a shaky inhale before feeling him nod in his hair. “I’ll try,” he already sounded so broken.

“I’m not mad,” Tim continued. “Or disappointed in you. I’m just glad you’re here with me. I couldn’t do this on my own. Though, I hate you’re also being hurt.”

Dick let out a watery laugh. “I deserve it,” he mumbled, nuzzling Tim’s hair and inhaling. “I deserve all of it. I’m a horrible person.”

“Dick,” Tim gasped in surprise, wincing as it jostled his most likely broken ribs. “You aren’t a horrible person. You’re far from it, the exact opposite. You took me in when I had nobody, when I was broken. You helped me heal and live a good life. Thank you for that.”

Silence fell between them, and Tim was about to pass out when he heard Dick speak up again.

“I’m a murderer,” he whispered.

Tim shook his head. “You aren’t,” he argued, giving Dick’s hand another squeeze.

“But, I killed my parents,” Dick was full out sobbing now, sounding hysterical.

“Dick, Tim paused as a wave of nausea hit him. He rolled over slightly and coughed up more blood. He could feel Dick rubbing his back. “Dick,” he continued. “You aren’t a murderer.”

“But my parents said—”

“That’s an illusion, remember?” Tim struggled to relax under the immense pain. He closed his eyes as his vision swam.

He flinched at feeling a hand on his forehead. “Are you okay?” Dick asked, sounding very concerned.

“I just…” Tim trailed off, shivering.

“Rest,” Dick soothed, carefully wrapping himself around Tim.

Tim just nodded, feeling himself lose consciousness already. The last thing he thought was about Damian coming to rescue them.


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joker and Scarecrow finally get what they deserve. Jason and Bruce save the day.

**Jason’s POV**

It was taking forever to trudge through the acid snow. Jason could tell Damian was becoming impatient. If he were honest, he was too. It felt like they had been walking for days when it had only been a few hours. His heart was leaping into his chest every time he wondered about what condition Dick and Tim could be in. He had heard Barbara say that Tim could have internal bleeding. Instantly, his mind wandered back to when the Joker murdered his mother. He had continually hit her with a crowbar until her heart had stopped beating. His stomach lurched at the thought of that happening to Tim or Dick.

“We’re almost there,” Barbara announced.

Jason watched as Bruce turned to all of the soldiers. “Alright men,” he shouted so everyone could hear. “We have been planning this for weeks. It’s time to put things in action. Remember where each of Joker and Scarecrow’s soldiers are stationed. Clark, you’ll be in charge of the actual battle. Roy, Connor, and Kaldur, you’ll be taking out the soldiers keeping watch. Make sure they don’t alert the others or their bosses on what is happening. We want the element of surprise. The rest of you will wait in the forest until Joker and Scarecrow call on their other soldiers to take us down. Hopefully by then, we will have Dick and Tim with us safe. It’s been a pleasure working with you all. Good luck, men.”

As soon as they reached past the forest and saw one of Joker’s soldiers, Bruce, Jason, Damian, and Wally broke off from everyone else, Titus following close behind. They waited for Connor to take out Joker’s soldier before they began to run toward the building. They could see a door right away, knowing it was the door they needed to get to Dick and Tim. Jason drew his sword first, waiting for Bruce to open the door, before he headed inside. He would take the lead, doing his best to keep Bruce safe. Wally would be taking up the rear.

They crept down a long hallway, knowing that the jail room would be on the other end. That was where Tim and Dick were being kept. As they approached the door, they could hear laughter and crying echoing down the hall. Jason opened the door a slit and peered inside. His blood boiled at seeing the Joker hovering beside Dick with a crowbar. Scarecrow was hovering over Dick, appearing to be molesting him. Jason saw red and ran into the room with a roar.

“Jason!” Bruce shouted after him, Jason hearing his footsteps following.

Jason didn’t care if he wasn’t following the plan. Joker and Scarecrow needed to die. Thankfully, the cell door was open and Jason was able to rush in. He stabbed Scarecrow first, the man seeming to be too focused on Dick to notice how close Jason had gotten. Scarecrow let out a pained scream, turning to push Jason away.

“Stop,” Joker suddenly giggled.

Jason turned to see Joker holding a beat-up Tim. There was a knife at Tim’s throat. He growled as he watched Joker’s free hand wrap around Tim’s waist.

“One more move and the boy dies,” Joker was laughing hysterically into Tim’s ear, causing Tim to shudder. “Now, drop your swords.”

Suddenly, there was a loud bark. Jason turned just in time to see Titus lunging at Joker. His jaws snapped around the wrist that was holding the knife. Joker screamed and dropped both the knife and Tim, Tim letting out a pained shriek as he hit the floor. Jason then took over, battling Joker with his knife. He could see Bruce battling with Scarecrow out of the corner of his eye.

“Get all of the soldiers,” Joker suddenly shouted to a large man who had suddenly walked into the room.

Jason saw the man bow in reply before he scurried out. He turned his attention back to the Joker, his eyes narrowing as the Joker grabbed the crowbar that he had dropped. “Know what this is?” the Joker taunted with an evil grin, waving the crowbar in front of Jason. “This is the exact same crowbar I used to kill you mother. It’s a trophy I like to use on defiant slaves.”

Jason growled, pulling his sword down onto Joker. Joker easily dodged it and swung the crowbar at Jason. Jason deflected the blow with his sword.

“Jason, no killing,” Bruce grunted from Jason’s left. “We want Joker and Scarecrow alive.”

Jason ignored him, turning to give Joker a slice in the side. Somehow, he had managed to nick him, but the Joker then got lucky and smacked his sword arm with the crowbar. Jason cried out as the bone in his forearm broke. He reeled back, switching his sword to his left hand.

The Joker giggled. “I’ll end up killing you too,” he taunted as he crept forward. “Just like I killed your whore for a mother.”

Jason roared, lunging forward. Sword met crowbar again and again as they fought. Jason was seeing red until he remembered his training. Bruce had said that his actions couldn’t be controlled by his emotions if he wanted to win a fight, and man did he want to win this fight. Jason dodged a blow to his face and pulled back, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. He closed his eyes, listening as he heard Joker’s laughter. He heard the whizz of the crowbar flying through the air. His eyes opened, and he dodged the blow. He did a three-sixty and grinned with satisfaction as his sword sliced through Joker’s abdomen. Joker’s guts and entrails began to spill out of his stomach.

Joker’s eyes widened as he fell to the floor.  “Good show, kid,” Joker choked out, before his eyes dimmed and he drew his last breath.

Jason stood tall and took a deep breath, glad to have avenged his mother. He looked toward his left and saw that Tim and Dick were gone, along with Titus, Wally and Damian. Wally and Damian must’ve carried them out while Jason and Bruce were fighting.

“Jason,” Bruce’s unapproved voice said. Jason turned to see Bruce handcuffing Scarecrow. “I said no killing.”

Jason just shrugged. “I saw an opening and took it,” he lied. “Trust me; the world is brighter without him.”

Bruce just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know what to do with you,” he admitted. “I’m very disappointed. We’ll talk more about his later. While you were finishing up with Joker, Connor came in and informed me that the battle is over. We won.”

Jason grinned at that. “Of course we did,” he puffed out his chest. “The soldiers had good trainers.”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “Yeah, let’s just go,” he said, turning and pulling Scarecrow to his feet.

“I’ll get away,” Scarecrow was saying. “I’ll escape and rape that poor little circus freak I had my hands all over. He’ll never be the same again. I’ve tainted him.”

“Shut up,” Jason growled before he hit Scarecrow on the head with the hilt of his sword. Scarecrow went down and passed out. “Stupid bastard.”

“He will get what he deserves once we get back,” Bruce nodded, hefting Scarecrow over his shoulder. “I’ll have Connor and Clark deal with him on the way to town.”

“Good,” Jason replied, gritting his teeth.

“Let’s meet up with the others and head back,” Bruce said. “I’m sure you’re anxious to see how Dick is doing.”

Jason just nodded and followed Bruce down the hall toward the exit.


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Wally save Tim and Dick while Jason and Bruce distract Joker and Scarecrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope all of my US readers had a great thanksgiving!

**Damian’s POV**

After Titus had attacked the Joker, West immediately headed to Richard with a blanket. Damian could see West wrapping the blanket around Richard’s naked form out of the corner of his eye. Once he was sure that Richard would be safe, he headed to Timothy. Timothy was in a heap at the left corner of the cell. He appeared to be unconscious. Damian knelt down and felt for a pulse, breathing a side of relief when he felt a strong one. He turned as he heard Titus whimper. Titus was heading toward Timothy with his tail wagging. He sniffed at Timothy’s hair before pressing his wet nose to Timothy’s cheek. Damian’s heart leapt in his chest when he heard Timothy let out a weak groan.

“Timothy?” Damian whispered, brushing some of Timothy’s blood-caked hair out of his eyes.

Timothy’s eyelids suddenly fluttered opened, showing his dimming blue eyes to Damian. Damian sucked in a breath. “Damian?” Timothy’s voice was hoarse.

“Timothy, I am here to save you,” Damian rushed out, turning to the bag he brought and pulling out a blanket. “I have a change of clothes packed, but we shall put them on once we are out of harm’s way.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to,” Timothy rasped, his eyes half lidded. “I’m in too much pain to move.”

“I shall do the moving for you,” Damian’s stomach did a flip at Timothy’s words. Just how bad were his injuries?

Timothy just nodded in reply, his eyes closing. Damian wrapped the blanket around Timothy’s bruised form and gently placed his arms under him. Timothy let out a cry of pain as Damian tried to move him. “It hurts,” Timothy’s teeth were clenched.

“I apologize,” Damian bit his lip. “But I must move you.”

Timothy sucked in a deep breath. “Okay,” he spoke softly. “I’m ready.”

Damian nodded and began to carefully pick Timothy up again. He could feel how stiff Timothy was as he lifted him. Once Timothy was in his arms, Damian turned to check on Richard and West. Richard appeared to be crying, shying away from West’s touch.

“Dick,” Tim’s soft voice spoke. “It’s okay. He’s trying to help you.”

Richard’s wide eyes turned to Timothy and Damian. Recognition flashed across his face and he nodded, turning back to West and reaching out his arms. West picked Richard up gently, before they turned toward the exit. Damian glanced back once to see how Todd and Bruce were doing. Both seemed to be winning their fights, so Damian turned back and began to walk out of the room.

“We have stretchers for you guys once we get outside,” West was saying as he glanced down at Richard. “But we need to wait until the battle is over.”

“It will not take long,” Damian was confident. “We have prepared for this for weeks.” Damian felt Timothy’s body relax suddenly. He glanced down worriedly and saw that Timothy’s eyes were closed. “Timothy?” Timothy’s eyes didn’t open. “I believe he is unconscious.”

“That’s probably for the best,” West spoke carefully. “This way he won’t feel any pain.”

Damian just nodded, bending his head down to kiss Timothy’s hair. When they finally reached the exit, West nudged the door open with his back and they ran out. To their left, they could see part of the battle taking place. Damian noticed that some of their soldiers were down, but most of them had survived. Damian followed West forward into the forest where they had hidden some supplies. West reached the supplies first, gently placing Richard on a rock before rummaging around for some clothes. He passed Timothy’s clothes to Damian before beginning to help Richard into his own.

Damian gently placed Timothy in the snow, making sure the blanket was covering him before spreading it out. He felt around for any broken bones and found several. His blood boiled as he gazed at Timothy’s body. It was littered in big ugly bruises and even some cuts. All Damian wanted to do was take Timothy and Richard home and never let them out of his sight ever again.

Damian began to pull some warm clothes onto Timothy, being mindful of his injuries. He slid some sweatpants onto Timothy’s thin hips and a large sweatshirt over Timothy’s head. Once Timothy was dressed, Damian lifted him up again and placed him on the stretcher that West had laid out for him. He then tucked the blanket around Timothy’s small form and placed a kiss on his forehead. Now all they could do was wait.

Only an hour passed before Bruce and Todd emerged from the building. Damian watched as they rounded up the rest of the soldiers and began to talk to them. Suddenly, the soldiers shouted in victory. Damian smirked. He knew they would win the fight. As Bruce, Todd, and the soldiers made their way to the forest, Damian spotted someone near Bruce. He squinted his eyes and noticed it was Scarecrow. His blood boiled upon seeing him.

“Why is he still alive?” he spat as soon as Bruce was in hearing distance. “You saw what he did to Richard and Timothy. Why is he allowed to live?”

“I don’t believe in killing unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Bruce replied calmly. “Plus, we need to know where the other slaves are that Joker had sold. I plan to extract each one and return them to their families.”

“What happened to Joker then?” Damian huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Bruce turned his gaze to Todd. “Jason killed him,” he replied.

“Good,” Damian nodded. “Thank you, Todd.”

“It was my pleasure,” Todd nodded before his gaze shifted to Richard. “Dick, are you okay?” He walked over and bent down to appear less intimidating.

Richard just nodded, his gaze flicking to everyone. He appeared to be nervous with all of the men nearby. When his gaze turned to Scarecrow, Damian saw his body stiffen. “Get away,” he rasped, his voice filled with fear. He curled up into a ball and pulled the blanket over him. “D-don’t hurt me, please.”

“He won’t hurt you ever again,” Todd’s voice was soft and gentle. He reached out a hand, but Richard flinched away. Todd retracted his hand. “I won’t hurt you. I would never hurt you.”

Damian could see Richard beginning to panic so he stood and slowly walked toward him. “Richard, you are safe,” he made sure his voice was gentle. “We rescued you. No harm can come to you now.”

Damian could see tears filling Richard’s eyes. As soon as Damian bent down, Richard lunged, wrapping his arms around Damian tightly and burying his face in Damian’s chest. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “This is all my fault.”

“What are you talking about?” Damian was beyond confused.

“If I wasn’t so weak, I could’ve saved Tim,” Richard cried.

Damian wrapped his arms around Richard and gave him a gentle squeeze. “This was not your fault,” he reprimanded. “If anything, it is mine. I could have stopped Joker and Scarecrow from taking you and Timothy, but I did not.”

He felt Richard shake his head. “I’m the oldest,” he argued. “I’m supposed to keep you and Tim safe. I failed him.”

Richard’s body then wracked with sobs and he clutched onto Damian’s coat. All Damian could do was hug and comfort him and wait for him to calm down again. When Richard’s sobbing was dying down, Bruce spoke. “We need to get going,” he said. “Tim’s injuries could be fatal. Damian, you can carry Dick for a while if you want. If your arms get tired, we can put him back in the stretcher.”

“Very well,” Damian nodded. “Is that okay, Richard?”

He felt Richard nod before nuzzling his chest. Damian nodded in return and lifted him, feeling Richard curl into his body. He turned to see Todd and Roy lifting Timothy’s stretcher. Damian would make sure to walk close to it in case Timothy woke before they got back to the manor.


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim wakes up after being unconscious for a while. Dick and Damian inform him on what he had missed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this is a long chapter.
> 
> Also, I want to write a few Damian/Tim one shots so if you have any suggestions please run them by me :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Tim’s POV**

Tim groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. His whole body was hurting. He was surprised, however, to notice that it wasn’t as painful as it had been. He heard a chair creak to his right as he struggled to open his eyes. As he blinked the haze away, he noticed Damian staring at him. He saw dark circles under Damian’s eyes and briefly wondered how long Damian had been at his bedside.

“Timothy?” his voice was soft. “Are you with me?”

Tim blinked again before nodding and glancing around the room. “Where’s Dick?” he asked, wincing at how hoarse his voice sounded.

He watched as Damian leaned over and grabbed a glass of water, holding the straw to Tim’s lips. Tim sucked down the water greedily, not realizing how thirsty he had been. Once he was satisfied, Tim pulled back and Damian placed the glass back on the bedside table. “How are you feeling?” Damian asked, his eyebrows knitted together with worry.

“Better,” Tim admitted, rotating his shoulders experimentally. He glanced down and noticed a large cast on his right arm. As he looked closer, he noticed signatures on the cast. A small smile made its way onto his face. “What are my injuries?” he asked once he looked back up at Damian.

“Too many to list,” Damian replied. “You have three broken ribs, broken cheekbone, broken collarbone, broken left leg, broken right arm, and I believe your pelvis is cracked a bit as well.”

Tim’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Wow,” he replied, looking down at his body.

“You had surgery as soon as we got back,” Damian continued. “You had some internal bleeding. Luckily, it was able to be stopped easily enough.”

“Dick, is he okay?” Tim suddenly asked, wincing as he moved the wrong way.

Damian nodded. “His mental health is not the best, but he will live,” Damian glanced down at his lap. “His ankles were in poor shape, though. If they do manage to heal, he may not be able to walk the same again. He may always need a cane or something. Both of his ankle bones were shattered. There was not much Dr. Thompkins could do to fix it.”

“Oh my God,” Tim’s mouth dropped open. “Will he be able to perform again?”

“I believe so,” Damian nodded. “So long as he does not put pressure on his feet. He could use the trapezes.”

“Thank goodness,” Tim sighed. He knew that acrobatics were a major part of Dick’s life. “Where is he?”

“I believe he is with Todd,” a smirk crossed Damian’s features. “They are a couple now.”

“Really?” Tim gasped, wincing as it jostled his ribs. “How long?”

“Two weeks,” Damian grinned.

Tim’s face suddenly paled. “Two weeks?” he stuttered. “How long have I been unconscious.”

Damian’s face suddenly fell. He scooted his chair closer and rested his hand on top of Tim’s uninjured one. “Almost a month now,” he whispered, watching Tim’s face closely.

“What?” Tim exclaimed. “A month?”

“Timothy, you were seriously injured,” Damian frowned, giving Tim’s hand a squeeze. “Your body needed the time to heal. What Joker did to you, your body could hardly handle it. Thank God it did, though.”

Tim stared down at his lap, thinking about the Joker. “Where is the Joker, and Scarecrow?” he asked.

He glanced up and saw a grin spread across Damian’s face. “Joker is dead,” he supplied. “Todd killed him. Scarecrow is in Arkham, which is a jail specifically for sick twisted people like himself. Of course, most of the prisoners there do not take kindly to rapists. I believe he is getting what he deserves.”

Tim nodded. “Can I see Dick?” he asked.

“Of course,” Damian said, giving Tim’s hand a squeeze again. “I shall have Alfred go fetch him. He will wish to give you something to eat as soon as he returns. I believe he will take any request you may have.”

Tim couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. “I like his vegetarian chili,” he admitted shyly.

Damian grinned happily. “I shall tell him, then,” he replied. He suddenly pulled Tim’s hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. “I am glad you are okay. I have been so worried.”

Tim found himself blushing, ducking his head. “I’m sorry I worried you guys,” he mumbled.

“It is quite alright,” Damian’s voice was low, soothing. “I shall go fetch Alfred. Are you in any pain?”

Tim glanced up at Damian. “A bit,” he admitted. “But it’s not nearly as bad as it had been.”

“I will let Alfred know,” Damian nodded. “I shall return soon.”

Tim just nodded in reply, watching as Damian left the infirmary. Once he was gone, Tim took a better look at his cast. A smile graced his lips as he looked at all of the signatures. Most of them, he recognized, but there were some he didn’t. He guessed those were from the new soldiers. As he turned his cast, he saw a drawing of Titus next to Damian’s signature. Tim reached toward the drawing and ran his thumb over it. He had missed Titus. He wondered where Titus was now.

His head suddenly whipped up upon hearing something he didn’t recognize. It sounded like metal scraping against something. As he looked next to the stairs, where the sound was coming from, he watched in amazement as two doors slid open, revealing an elevator. His mouth dropped open. How had he not noticed that before?

“Timmy!” an excited voice shouted, causing Tim to wince slightly. He smiled, though, at seeing Dick sitting in a wheelchair.

There was an excited bark before Titus ran out from behind Dick’s wheelchair and ran to Tim. Tim held out his uninjured hand and Titus immediately barreled into it, giving it licks. Tim giggled and reached down to pet him.

“Tim, glad to see you’re awake,” Tim looked up and saw Jason wheeling Dick out of the small elevator. “We’ve been worried.”

“I’m sorry I worried you guys,” Tim frowned a bit.

“It’s okay, Tim,” Dick seemed to be bouncing excitedly in his wheelchair. “You couldn’t help it.”

Once Jason wheeled the chair as close to the bed as possible, Dick leaned forward and gave Tim a gentle hug. Tim buried his face in the crook of Dick’s neck and returned the embrace with one arm. He felt Dick’s muscles relax and heard him sigh. Dick kissed his hair before pulling back.

Tim glanced down at the two casts on Dick’s feet. “How are your ankles?” he asked, noticing the signatures on both of Dick’s casts.

“They hurt like a bitch,” Dick shrugged nonchalantly. “But I’ll live.”

“He’s been on some strong pain killers,” Jason grinned with a wink. “They make him a bit loopy.”

“Really?” Tim couldn’t help but snicker. “He seems fine now.”

“He’s been refusing to take them,” Jason frowned.

“What?” Tim gasped before he rounded onto Dick. “Dick, you know better.”

Dick had the decency to blush. “I don’t like how they make me feel,” he mumbled, his eyes going distant. “It reminds me of how I was drugged with Scarecrow.”

Tim frowned, reaching out to grip onto Dick’s hand. Dick blinked out of his flashback and gazed into Tim’s eyes. “It’s okay now,” Tim soothed, rubbing the top of Dick’s hand with his thumb. “You’re safe.”

Dick took a deep breath. “I know,” he nodded, before his face broke out into a grin. “Jason and I are dating.”

“So I’ve heard,” Tim noticed the change of subject but decided to let it slide. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Timbo,” Jason grinned sweetly at him. “We’re taking it really slow though. He gets triggered by a lot of things.”

Tim frowned, turning his concerned blue eyes to Dick’s. “Have you talked to anyone about this?” he asked.

Dick looked away, blinking rapidly. “I don’t need to,” his voice was quiet. “I’m fine.”

“Liar,” Jason scoffed, reaching down and giving Dick’s shoulder a gentle squeeze, Dick flinched. “See? You can’t even handle a simple touch.”

“I don’t need to talk to some shrink,” Dick stick his nose up in the air.

“You can talk to me,” Jason walked around Dick’s wheelchair and bent down to be eyelevel with him. “I know what it’s like to be under the Joker’s control.”

“The Joker barely touched me,” Dick sniffed. “It was mostly Scarecrow.” Tim saw him shudder.

Jason slowly reached a hand out, seeming to give Dick time to see it, before he placed it onto Dick’s right cheek. “Doesn’t change much,” he admitted. “I know what it’s like to be helpless. You don’t have to see a shrink, you can just talk to me, or Tim, or even Damian. We’re all here for you.”

Dick’s eyes slipped closed and he appeared to lean into Jason’s touch. “I know,” he admitted softly. “But I’ve already caused too much pain.”

“Not you,” Jason shook his head. “Joker and Scarecrow. None of this was your fault. How many times do I need to tell you?”

“Just a few more,” Dick joked, his vivid blue eyes opening. He then turned his gaze to Tim and blushed. “Uh, sorry. Didn’t mean to ruin the happy moment.”

“It’s okay,” Tim smiled reassuringly. “I think you guys are cute together. Plus, you can’t help how you feel, Dick. If you’re sad, don’t ignore it. Bottling up emotions is never good. You know that.”

Dick let out a tired sigh, pulling away slightly from Jason’s touch. “Yeah, I know,” he agreed.

Jason put his hand down before he glanced toward the stairs. Tim looked too and saw Alfred and Damian entering the room. Titus gave another woof and headed to Damian, jumping up to give his face a few licks. Damian chuckled slightly and petted Titus’s head before pushing him off. Titus then ran back over to Tim and jumped on the bed, Tim giving a pained, sharp inhale as it jostled him. Titus then curled up at the foot of the bed, seemingly unaware that he caused Tim pain.

“Master Tim, are you alright?” Alfred sounded a bit concerned as he headed toward the bed.

Tim looked up and saw that everyone in the room was staring at him with concerned gazes. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Yes, I’m okay,” he said.

“I shall give you some pain medication,” Alfred gave Damian a tray he had been carrying and headed over to the medication station.

Damian took the tray over to Tim and carefully placed it in his lap. “Here is your chili,” he smiled as he took the covering off. 

“Thank you,” Tim nodded, moaning as the wonderful smell hit his nose. “It looks delicious, Alfred.

“I am pleased you think so,” Alfred spoke as smoothly as usual, heading back to Tim with a bottle of pills. He placed the bottle on Tim’s bedside table. “You must take one pill three times a day, and it must be with food. You may take one after you eat.”

Tim nodded in understanding before he grabbed a spoon and dipped it in the chili. “Thank you, Alfred.”

“You are most welcome, Young Sir,” Alfred nodded. “Alert me if you need anything else.”

“Will do,” Tim suddenly smirked. “Or I’ll have Damian fetch you again.”

“Very good,” Alfred nodded, his own smirk crossing his face for a brief moment. “I shall come check on you in an hour.”

“Bye Alfred,” Dick waved as Alfred turned to leave.

“Goodbye, Master Dick,” Alfred said, causing Tim to giggle.

Once Alfred was gone, Damian turned to Tim. “Eat,” he nodded toward the bowl. “You have not eaten on your own in a while. You need to regain some strength.”

“Yes Mom,” Tim stuck his tongue out at Damian, causing both Dick and Jason to snicker.

Tim brought the spoon to his mouth, moaning as the flavor hit his tongue. “How does Alfred always manage to cook something so amazing?”

“Years of practice,” Jason piped up, heading toward a chair and sitting down.

Tim hummed in acknowledgement, turning his attention to his chili.


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick thinks back to how Jason asked him for a date. Jason loses Dick's trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is almost over. I think there could be a few chapters left. I've enjoyed writing this for you guys and for NaNoWriMo.

**Dick’s POV**

Dick was glad that Tim was awake and talking. He had been so worried the past month. However, when Jason confessed his feelings, it made things a bit easier.

_It had been a couple weeks after they had been rescued and Dick was in the library, staring out the window at the snow. He had previously asked Damian to wheel him there and leave him for a bit. Alfred the cat was asleep in his lap and he would find himself petting him now and then._

_He blinked up as he heard footsteps echo down the hall. He plastered on a somewhat fake smile as Jason entered the room._

_Jason smiled back with an eyebrow raised. “What’re you doing in here all alone?” he asked._

_“Just looking for a book,” he lied, glancing down at the cat in his lap._

_When he looked back up, Jason was giving him a skeptical look. “But you hate to read.”_

_Dick sighed. “Okay fine, you caught me,” he said. “I was just thinking about Tim.”_

_Jason walked further into the room, sitting down on the floor in front of Dick. “What about him?” he asked, his head tilted._

_Dick bit his lip before speaking. “Just thinking about how much I love and miss him.” He paused to take a shaky inhale. “Wondering if he’ll ever wake up.”_

_“He will,” Jason’s voice was soft as he slowly reached out a hand. He placed his hand on top of Dick’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Just have a little faith. He’s a strong kid.”_

_“I know,” Dick sighed. “I just miss him.”_

_Jason sighed as well, inching closer. “I know something that’ll cheer you up,” he spoke softly._

_“What?” Dick tilted his head to the side._

_“Well, I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you this,” Jason pulled back and stood, beginning to pace. “I made a pact with Damian a while back.”_

_Dick blinked in surprise. “What kind of pact?”_

_“Well, we promised we would tell someone how we feel about them,” Jason admitted, turning to gaze at Dick with his beautiful blue-green eyes._

_“Okay,” Dick blinked in confusion. “I don’t understand.”_

_Jason chuckled before kneeling back down to gaze at Dick’s face. “Dick, ever since I saw you on the street performing, I felt this connection between us. All I wanted to do was take you home and take care of you. I wasn’t even sure why for a while, even after you, Tim, and Damian moved in here. Now, though, it all makes sense.” Jason took a deep breath. “Dick, I have feelings for you, romantic feelings. I would like to date you. Now, I know you’ve been through a lot and I understand if you don’t want to right now—”_

_Dick suddenly decided to lean in and kiss Jason. Jason let out a surprised sound before deepening the kiss. Dick let out a content sigh as Jason gently ran his fingers through his hair. When they pulled back, Jason was blushing and looking at Dick questioningly._

_“You were rambling,” Dick chuckled. “I just thought kissing you would shut you up.”_

_Jason laughed too. “Sorry,” he said bashfully. “I tend to do that when I’m nervous.”_

_Dick reached out a hand and cupped Jason’s cheek, watching as Jason leaned into the touch. “It’s okay,” he smiled._

_“So…” Jason trailed off. “Is that a yes?”_

_Dick burst out laughing. “Yes,” he nodded. “My answer is yes. I will go out with you, but we have to take it slow.”_

_“Agreed,” Jason was grinning so wide that Dick was sure his cheeks hurt._

Dick let out a small, happy sigh at the memory before turning his attention back to Tim. Damian was back now, handing Tim a tray of food. Dick watched as Tim’s face lit up at the smell. Alfred checked Tim’s vitals before instructing Tim to take those pain pills with food. Dick glared at the bottle with hatred. He hated how those pills had made him feel. Hopefully Tim wouldn’t feel the same way, since he needed to take them more than Dick did.

“Dick?” Tim’s voice suddenly filled his ears. “You okay?”

Dick blinked before turning his gaze to Tim. Tim was staring at him with a questioning gaze. Dick forced a smile on his face. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Tt,” Damian spoke up. “He just hates those pills.”

“Yeah, they were telling me that earlier,” Tim frowned.

“I’m _fine_ ,” Dick sighed, exasperated. “I don’t need those pills.”

“Yeah, right,” was Damian’s sarcastic reply.

Dick felt himself bristle. “I don’t,” he snapped. “The pain is bearable.”

“But the pills help with inflammation too,” Jason pointed out. “Your ankles are still pretty swollen. We should probably go elevate them soon.”

Dick just rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “They’re fine.”

“What is with you today?” Jason suddenly questioned. “You’re acting like a brat.”

“No, I’m not,” Dick huffed, sticking his nose up in the air.

“Yes, you are,” Tim giggled a bit.

“He is probably grumpy because he is in pain,” Damian spoke matter-of-factly. “When was the last time you too something for the pain, Richard?”

“Will you guys please just back off,” Dick pleaded, deflating slightly. “I don’t wanna take any pills. I don’t wanna be drugged.”

“But Dick, it’ll help you heal,” Tim spoke softly now, reaching out a hand. “You need to heal.”

“I can heal just fine without them,” Dick nodded once, trying to convince everyone.

There was suddenly the sound of shuffling coming from the stairs. Everyone turned to see Bruce heading into the infirmary with Wally in tow. Wally’s face broke out into a grin upon seeing Dick. “Hey Dick,” he waved happily.

“Hey,” Dick again forced a smile on his face.

It must not have been very convincing for Wally gave him a questioning look. Dick just shrugged in response, wincing as it jostled his ankles slightly.

Bruce suddenly cleared his throat and Dick saw that he had some cookies. “Curtesy of Alfred,” Bruce smiled, placing the tray on Tim’s bed. “Here’s some milk for you guys too.”

Wally stepped forward with a tray of milk glasses. Bruce handed them out to everyone. Jason accepted his and seemed to share a look with Bruce before grinning. “Thank Alfred for us,” he said, carefully resting a hand on Dick’s shoulder, causing Dick to flinch a bit.

“Will do,” Wally gave them a two-finger salute before turning to leave.

“There are some chocolate chip cookies as well as the peanut butter ones that Dick likes so much,” Bruce informed with a smile. “I hope you enjoy.”

“Thanks Bruce,” Tim smiled at him, allowing Bruce to take his dinner tray.

“You’re very welcome,” Bruce smiled back before standing and headed toward the stairs. “I will see you boys at dinner.”

“Very well,” Damian nodded, answering for them. “See you then, Father.”

Bruce gave Damian a smile before leaving with Wally. Once they were gone, Jason grabbed a chocolate chip cookie. “These smell amazing,” he gushed before taking a big bite. He moaned. “They taste amazing too.”

Dick then grabbed one of the peanut butter cookies, his mouth salivating. “I love Alfred’s cookies,” he sighed before he also took a bite.

“They are very delicious,” Damian agreed before he also grabbed a chocolate chip one.

Tim grabbed one of each, taking a huge bite out of the peanut butter one first. “I can see why you like these, Dick,” he spoke with his mouth full. “They are amazing.”

Dick nodded in agreement, washing the cookie down with the glass of milk. He saw Jason watching him out of the corner of his eye, but shrugged it off. He was probably just making sure that Dick didn’t choke or something.

Dick grabbed another peanut butter cookie, deciding it would be his last one. “Alfred always makes the best cookies,” he gushed. “How did we live without his cooking?”

“We did not live very well,” Damian replied, causing Dick to smirk. “We are now, though.”

“We just didn’t know what we were missing,” Tim pointed out. “Now that we do, I doubt I’ll ever eat anyone else’s cooking ever again.”

Dick and Damian both hummed in agreement. Dick blinked a bit, noticing he was suddenly getting sleepy. “I’m getting tired,” he admitted. “Damian, do you mind taking me over to the bed next to Tim’s?”

“Of course not,” Damian said, standing and walking behind Dick’s wheelchair.

Damian carefully wheeled Dick to the bed and put the brakes on the wheels. Then he pulled back the covers on the bed. He turned and crouched down, carefully pushing his arms under Dick’s back and knees to lift him. Dick winced as the move jostled his feet. Even though Damian was very careful, tears of pain reached Dick’s eyes as he was laid on the bed. Once Damian pulled the covers over Dick, he bent down and wiped a tear off of Dick’s cheek.

“You are in immense pain,” he stated. “You really should take a pain pill.”

Dick sniffled, shaking his head. “No,” he argued. “I don’t wanna be drugged. It makes me feel helpless.”

Damian let out a sigh. “Very well,” he said. “At least allow me to place pillows under your legs to elevate your ankles.”

Dick let out a sigh but nodded. Damian went to a few of the other bed in the infirmary and grabbed the pillows off of them. He then pulled the covers off of Dick and carefully began to place the pillows under Dick’s ankles. Dick grit his teeth at the horrible pain, but he breathed through it. He would rather be in pain than take a pill. As Damian was finishing up, however, Dick noticed that the pain was dimming. He also noticed that his eyelids were getting heavy. He turned to Damian in confusion.

“I’m really tired all of a sudden,” he found himself slurring.

“It’s probably from the pain you’re in,” Jason piped up. “It can be tiring.”

“No,” Dick blinked slowly. “I feel weird.” As he turned to Jason, he saw that Jason had a guilty look on his face. Instantly, Dick’s stomach dropped. “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Jason mumbled. “It was Bruce’s idea.”

“What was?” Dick glared at him.

Jason stared at his feet. “Crushing the pain pill and putting it in your milk,” he admitted.

Dick could feel his chest tighten. “You drugged me?” he asked.

“No, Bruce did,” Jason shook his head. “He just asked me to make sure you drank the milk.”

Dick felt betrayed. “How could you?” he whispered, resting his head against a pillow. “You know how it makes me feel.”

“I’m sorry,” Jason frowned. “I just wanted you to feel a bit better for a while.”

“Being drugged doesn’t make me feel better,” Dick snapped.

“Richard, maybe it is for the best,” Damian spoke up, sitting on the edge of Dick’s bed. “Now you will be able to rest well without being in pain.”

Dick could feel himself getting sleepy. “I will never trust you again,” he slurred at Jason, his eyes closing. He reached out for Damian’s hand and felt Damian grip onto his. “From now on, I will only trust my brothers.”

He could hear Jason replying but he was too far gone to understand what he was saying. As he succumbed to a drug induced sleep, his last thought was making Jason pay for what he did.


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian scolds Jason about what he did. Jason tells Damian and Tim a bit about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used the word "fond" a lot in this chapter lol. Oops.

**Damian’s POV**

Once he was sure that Richard was asleep, he rounded onto Todd. “That was a stupid thing to do,” he snapped, eyes narrowing. “I thought you wanted Richard to trust you.”

“I know,” Todd sighed. “I just didn’t like seeing him in pain. I know it was stupid.”

“You’re going to spend a lot of time trying to get him to trust you again,” Timothy frowned, turning to look at Richard.

“I know,” Todd face palmed. “I don’t know that I was thinking.”

“You were not thinking at all,” Damian huffed. “That is the problem.”

“Well, at least he’s not in pain right now,” Todd frowned, looking at Richard fondly. “I will do everything I can to make up for it.”

“Tt,” Damian rolled his eyes. “It will take quite some time.” Damian saw Timothy wince as he shifted slightly in his bed. “Are you alright, Timothy?”

“Yeah,” Timothy nodded. “Just hurting.”

Todd moved forward then, standing and handing the pill bottle to Timothy. “You should take one of these,” he mumbled, opening the bottle and pouring a pill out. “It should help.”

“Thank you,” Timothy nodded as Todd gave him the pill. He popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed it with the remaining milk in his glass. As soon as he finished with that, he let out a yawn.

Damian smiled fondly, reaching forward to lightly grip onto Timothy’s hand. “You should get some more sleep,” he spoke softly, watching Timothy’s eyelids droop. “Your body still needs some rest.”

Timothy nodded in reply, wincing again as he settled down in his bed. He continued to hold onto Damian’s large hand once he was comfortable. “Stay?” he asked, batting his big blue eyes at him.

Damian blushed and nodded. “Of course,” he replied.

Timothy gave him a small smile before closing his eyes. His breathing evening out almost instantly. Once Damian was sure that Timothy was asleep, he glanced at Todd again. He noticed Todd had a grin on his face and frowned. “What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Todd grinned. “Just wondering when you’re going to ask him out.”

“Well, he just woke up from a month of sleeping,” Damian huffed, crossing his arms. “I have not had time to ask him.”

“I know,” Todd nodded. “Just remember our pact.”

“I have not forgotten,” Damian rolled his eyes. “But it seems like your part of the pact may falter after the stunt you pulled.”

Todd sighed and scrubbed at his face. “Yeah, I know,” he frowned. He then glanced up at Richard worriedly as they heard a whimper. Richard was moving a bit in his sleep, his eyebrows knitted together.

Todd stood and headed for Richard’s bed. He sat on the side of the bed and began to run his hand through Richard’s hair, sighing as Richard flinched away from his touch. “He’s been having a lot of nightmares lately,” he frowned.

“Well, you would be too if you had been through what Richard has,” Damian couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Been there, done that,” Todd sighed, his shoulders drooping.

Both Todd and Damian blinked in surprise as Timothy suddenly flinched, his eyes opening quickly. Damian frowned at seeing the tears in Timothy’s eyes. “Timothy, are you okay?” he asked, squeezing the hand he was still holding.

Timothy took a deep, slow breath and nodded. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Just a nightmare.”

“You did not sleep long,” Damian frowned with concern. “I would have thought that the pill would knock you out for quite some time.”

“Sometimes nightmares can be so vivid that they can wake you up from anything,” Todd informed. “I only know that because Alfred would tell me that often.”

“What was your dream about?” Damian asked, rubbing the back of Timothy’s hand soothingly with his thumb.

Timothy gave Damian’s hand a squeeze. “The Joker,” his voice was soft, timid. “He was beating me.”

Todd sighed from his right. “You know, if you ever need someone to talk to about that, I’m here,” he said, eyes looking at Timothy’s. “I used to be the Joker’s slave when I was a kid.”

“Really?” Timothy’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Yeah,” Todd took a deep breath, seeming to gather himself. “Joker did like to beat his slaves with a crowbar, and it was always the same bloodstained crowbar. He waved I around like a trophy.”

“That’s horrible,” Timothy gasped.

“Yeah,” Todd nodded. “I remember this one time when one of the boys tried to escape. Joker made an example out of him by beating him in front of the rest of us. Told us if anyone of us tried to escape again, he would beat us to oblivion. Kids still tried anyway because dying from internal injuries seemed better to them than living under Joker’s control.”

Damian saw Timothy shudder. “That’s terrible,” he whispered. “I can understand why, though. Joker was a horrible man.”

“I am glad you murdered him,” Damian admitted, pulling Timothy’s hand to his lips and kissing it. “Otherwise, I would have killed him myself and would not have time for Timothy.”

He saw Timothy’s cheeks redden slightly. “I’m sure you would’ve made time,” he mumbled shyly.

“I’m glad I killed the bastard too,” Todd admitted. “That’s one less thing I have to worry about. Though, Bruce has benched me until further notice for disobeying his orders.”

“It is worth it, though,” Damian replied smoothly.

“Yeah, it is,” Todd turned to look at Richard with a fond smile.

Damian turned to Timothy, noting how tired he looked. “Timothy, why don’t you try to get some more sleep?”

Timothy sighed. “I can try,” he mumbled. “I just don’t wanna have another nightmare.”

“I shall be right here if you do,” Damian gave Timothy’s hand a squeeze again.

Timothy’s beautiful blue eyes gazed into Damian’s green ones. He smiled and nodded. “Okay,” he said, beginning to settle down again. “Can you sit on the edge of my bed?”

“Sure,” Damian nodded, standing and doing as Timothy asked.

Timothy then scooted forward a bit and slowly wrapped his body around Damian’s hips. Once he was comfortable, he let out a content sigh. Damian began to run his fingers through Timothy’s hair with his free hand, watching fondly as Timothy’s eyelids slipped closed. As Timothy fell back asleep, Damian vowed to help Timothy through his recovery, doing whatever he could to make Timothy feel comfortable.


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick deals with the after effects of being kidnapped. Jason and Dick have a heartfelt conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, there's mentions of rape in the beginning of the chapter. It's the words that are italicized so if you wanna skip over it, be my guest :)
> 
> This chapter is really long lol.
> 
> NaNoWriMo is almost over! I have enjoyed participating in it with this story. I still don't know how many chapters are left for this fic. I do plan on making a sequel, though. Should be exciting!

**Dick’s POV**

_Scarecrow’s hands were all over him, touching him in his most private places. He whimpered as Scarecrow’s finger traced his hole. “Do what I say, and I will make the scary things go away,” Scarecrow grinned, his teeth razor sharp._

_Dick nodded frantically, willing to do anything to make the scary hallucinations vanish. Scarecrow grinned in reply and pushed his finger into Dick’s hole. Dick flinched at the intrusion, preparing for what would be coming next. Sure enough, Scarecrow fumbled with his pants and pulled out his cock, Dick screaming in fear as his cock turned into a snake._

_“What’s the matter?” Scarecrow’s voice sounded like nails on a chalk board, his fingers digging deeper into Dick. “Is my cock too big for you?”_

_“No, please,” Dick whimpered as he watched the snake hiss as it lined up at his entrance._

_“Aww, it’s okay,” Scarecrow laughed. “It’ll all be over soon enough if you behave yourself.”_

_Scarecrow then held Dick’s hips down and pushed in with one motion. Dick screamed._

“Dick,” a familiar voice soothed. “Dick, it’s okay. It was just a dream.”

Dick sat up quickly, crying out in pain as it jostled his feet. His breathing was labored as he put his face in his hands. He let out a whimper as a hand landed on his shoulder.

“Dick, it’s just me,” it was Wally talking. “You’re safe.”

Ever since the rescue, Dick and Wally had grown close. They would often talk about Dick’s Flying Grayson days, Dick excitedly talking about his routines. Wally was a friendly face that always managed to cheer Dick up like no ne else could. It could have something to do with how cheerful Wally always was.

“I’m sorry,” Dick apologized with a shaky voice. “Did I scream?”

“Just a little bit,” Tim’s voice joined in. “But it wasn’t as bad as some other times.”

It had been a week since Tim first woke up and Dick had been refusing to talk to Jason and Bruce. He had also refused any food or beverages from anyone other than Alfred or his brothers. He was slowly warming back up to Jason, but he didn’t trust him yet.

Tim was healing up more, being able to be wheeled to the restroom for the first time that day. His injuries were healing nicely, and Tim seemed to be in better spirits. Dick had a suspicion that Damian had something to do with that, as well as Titus.

“Are you okay?” Wally’s voice was full of concern.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Dick nodded, removing his hands from his face. “It wasn’t just a nightmare though.”

“A memory?” Tim asked, shifting slightly in his bed.

Dick nodded, shuddering slightly.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Wally asked, reaching a freckled hand out slowly.

Dick shook his head. “No, I really don’t,” he whispered.

Wally’s hand landed on Dick’s shoulder, but Dick wasn’t frightened for he had seen it coming. “We can talk about something else,” he offered.

“Like what?” Dick asked.

He glanced over at Tim, seeing him grinning. “Damian is sneaking us some cake,” he said. “He’s getting Alfred’s famous chocolate cake.”

Dick hummed happily at the thought. “Well now my mouth is watering,” he chuckled.

“He should be back soon,” Wally grinned as he munched on some homemade potato chips.

“Gearing up for more junk food?” Dick raised an eyebrow as he watched Wally. That man could eat all the junk food in the world and not gain a pound.

“Yep,” Wally grinned, popping the p.

“I hate your metabolism,” Tim frowned in jealousy.

“You have a pretty fast one too, Timmy,” Dick chuckled.

“I guess,” Tim shrugged with a frown.

“Have you been eating?” Dick also frowned as he noticed Tim’s collarbones protruding.

“Yes,” but Dick could hear the lie in his voice.

“Liar,” he accused, pointing a finger at him. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“It reminds me…” Tim trailed off, shuddering.

Dick frowned in sympathy. Joker would force Tim to give him a blow job for food. Scarecrow did something similar to Dick, which was part of the reason why Dick had lost some weight as well. Also, he didn’t trust anyone to cook for him, even Alfred on some occasions. He knew Alfred was loyal to Bruce and would probably do anything Bruce asked of him, even slipping some pain pills in Dick’s food.

“I’m sorry, Tim,” Dick sighed, wishing the bed was close enough for him to touch Tim. He suddenly turned to Wally. “Help me into my wheelchair?”

Wally nodded, helping Dick remove the covers off of him. His feet had to be elevated for a few hours a day which was why Dick had been in a bed in the first place. He had decided a while back that he would sleep in the infirmary with Tim when his feet had to be elevated.

Dick let out a yelp suddenly when one of his feet bumped into the wheelchair. He took deep breaths, struggling to blink away his tears of pain.

“Dick, I’m so sorry,” Wally gasped, bending down to be at eye level.

“Dick, are you okay?” Dick heard Jason’s concerned voice. When did he come in?

“Fine, I’m fine,” Dick said through clenched teeth.

“Here, let me help,” Jason spoke up, appearing in Dick’s line of sight. He bent down as well and reached forward. Dick flinched away. “I was just going to wipe your tears away. I wasn’t gonna hurt you.”

Dick nodded, allowing Jason to wipe at his tears. He found himself leaning into the gentle touch, momentarily forgetting his feud. “I forgive you,” he suddenly found himself saying to Jason, his eyes slipping closed. “I forgive you for slipping the pill into my milk.”

When he opened his eyes, he saw Jason smiling at him. “Really?” he asked hopefully.

“Yeah,” Dick nodded. “It took me a while, but I finally figured out that your heart was in the right place.”

“Thank you,” Jason whispered, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Dick’s.

“I come with cake,” Damian’s voice suddenly filled the room. “Todd, I did not expect you to be in here. Otherwise, I would have brought you some cake as well.”

Jason pulled away from Dick, turning to look at Damian, who had a tray in his hands. “I just wanted to see how Dick and Tim were doing,” he admitted a bit sheepishly. “I don’t want any cake.”

Dick shifted a bit, still sitting on the edge of the bed. “Can someone please help me into my wheelchair?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Oh, right,” Jason turned back to Dick. “Wally, wanna help me?”

“Sure,” Wally nodded.

Wally went to Dick’s left and Jason to Dick’s right. They each placed their arms under Dick’s thigh, wrapping their other arms around Dick’s back. They counted to three and lifted Dick, gently carrying him to his wheelchair and setting him down on it. Dick was impressed with how careful they had been.

“Thank you,” he smiled at them, unlocking the brakes and wheeling over to Tim’s bed. “Hey Tim, ready for some cake?”

“Yes,” Tim grinned, nodding a bit excitedly.

“Here you are,” Damian announced, placing the tray on the corner of Tim’s bed. He passed out the plates and gave Tim and Dick some milk. “Do not worry, Richard. The milk does not have any medication in it.”

“Okay,” Dick nodded. “Thank you, Damian.”

“You are most welcome, Richard,” Damian replied.

“Dick,” Jason spoke up suddenly. “Can I talk to you alone after you’re done with your cake?”

“Sure,” Dick nodded, raising an eyebrow questioningly. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Jason nodded. “I just wanted to tell you a few things.”

“Okay,” Dick agreed. “Want to go to the library?”

“Sure,” Jason smiled.

Dick nodded then turned to his cake. He stared at it for a bit, thinking about what Scarecrow would make him do to have food or water. When he glanced up, he saw Tim doing the same thing. He heaved a sigh and stabbed his fork, bringing the cake to his lips. He put the cake in his mouth, chewing and forcing himself to swallow.

“It’s good, Tim,” he said, looking to his brother. “You should try some.”

He watched Tim heave a large sigh before he too began to eat the cake. He moaned once he had the cake in his mouth. “It is good,” he agreed, cutting off a small piece with his fork.

Dick and Tim each finished their cake roughly around the same time. Damian took the plates back and went back upstairs. Dick turned to Jason then. “Wanna head on up?” he asked.

“Sure,” Jason nodded, moving to stand behind Dick’s wheelchair. “I’ll push.”

“Thanks,” Dick nodded. “See you guys later.”

“Bye,” Wally waved.

“Bye Dick,” Tim smiled. “Pick me out a book I can read.”

“Will do,” Dick replied.

Jason pushed him to the elevator doors, which were already open and waiting for them. He pushed Dick in then pressed the button for the third floor. The doors closed, and Jason stood beside Dick. They were silent as the elevator pinged for each floor. When they reached the third floor, Jason moved behind Dick again and pushed him out. They went down the hall and soon entered the library, Jason placing Dick near one of the windows. Jason then sat in one of the armchairs that were facing Dick.

He heaved a sigh before speaking. “I wanted to tell you a bit about my past,” he spoke softly, staring down at his hands.

“Oh,” Dick blinked in surprise. “You don’t have to.”

“I know,” Jason then looked up at Dick. “But I want to. After what you and Tim went through, I thought it would maybe help you if you knew the hardships I had to deal with as a child before Bruce took me in.”

“Okay,” Dick nodded. “And I will do the same.”

Jason just nodded in reply before beginning to speak. “My mother was a drug user,” he began. “For as long as I could remember, I had to take care of her. We moved a few times, each apartment being crappier than the last. She would sell our stuff, so she could buy more drugs. It got to the point where we barely had any personal items.

“One day, a man came to our apartment with her. I didn’t like him from the get-go. He was always staring at me in a way that made my skin crawl. He began to date my mom, supplying her with all the drugs she wanted. I tried my best to stay away from him. Eventually, the man made my mom an offer. He told her that if she sold me as a slave, he would give her enough money to last her a lifetime. My mom refused.

“The next thing I knew, he had pulled out a crowbar and began to beat her, pushing me away every time I tried to intervene. He beat her to death.” Jason paused, taking a deep shaky breath. “That man, I soon found out, went by the name Joker. At the time, he didn’t wear any clown makeup, tricking both my mom and I to believing he was a regular guy.

“He ended up taking me to a warehouse where I met all of these other boys. He never took in any girls; his fancy was boys. The boys ranged from around eight years old up to eighteen. If any one us ever defied him, or tried to escape, he would beat us with the same fucking crowbar he used to kill my mom.

“I was with the Joker for two years, just two years, but it felt like a decade. I was near my breaking point when Bruce suddenly showed up with a bunch of soldiers. He somehow found out about Joker’s slave sting and came to save us. He ended up defeated Joker and his goons.

“All of the other boys were reported missing, or had some place to go. I didn’t. My mom was my only family. I guess Bruce felt bad for me because he took me in. We didn’t get along well at first. I didn’t trust him, or any man really. Then, Alfred showed me the library and I grew close to the old man. As I became more trusting toward Alfred, I began to trust Bruce as well. Alfred would tell me stories about when Bruce was a child. It made me see him as more than just another man. It made me see him as a person.

“I owe Bruce and Alfred my life. If it hadn’t been for them, I have no idea where I’d be right now. I still have nightmares about Joker.” Jason trailed off, looking up at Dick.

Dick took a breath. “What happened to Joker after Bruce defeated him?” he asked.

“He was taken to Arkham,” Jason sighed. “But he escaped. That’s why I wanted to kill him this time. Every damn time he was captured, he ended up escaping. I didn’t want him harming anyone else ever again.”

“Wow,” Dick couldn’t believe what Jason had been through. “And I thought my life had been tough.”

“I’m sure it has,” Jason frowned. “Bruce told me a bit about you. How your parents were murdered, and you ran away.”

“Yeah,” Dick nodded sadly.

“Why did you run?” he asked, head tilted. “Bruce is a great guy. He wouldn’t have taken advantage of you.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know that at the time,” Dick frowned. “I thought he was going to take me in out of pity. I didn’t even know about you at that point.”

“He didn’t save me yet,” Jason admitted. “So, he didn’t know about me either.”

“Oh,” Dick paused. “I guess I was just tired of the pitying looks I kept receiving. I figured Bruce would be the same way. I regret not going to him sometimes, but if I had, I never would’ve met or saved Tim and Damian.”

“Everything happens for a reason,” Jason nodded with a smile.

“Yeah,” Dick agreed, smiling as well. “It does.”

“What was it like on the streets?” Jason asked. “Before the apocalypse.”

Dick let out a sigh. “It was okay for a few months,” he said. “But things began to get complicated once it started to get cold out.”

“Yeah?” Jason asked. “What did you do?”

Dick sighed. “Things get kinda fuzzy,” he admitted. “I would sleep in an alley between a trashcan and a wall. It would block the chilly wind.” He trailed off, getting lost in thought. What had happened after that?

“It’s okay if you don’t remember,” Jason touched his hand. “It was a long time ago.”

“I was nine when my parents died,” Dick frowned. “So, yeah, I guess it was a long time ago.” He suddenly shuddered. “I can still see their twisted bodies.”

“I bet it was scary,” Jason’s voice was soft, gentle.

Dick took a deep breath and nodded, closing his eyes. He jumped slightly when he felt Jason squeeze his hand. He opened his eyes and saw Jason frowning at him.

 “Are you okay?” he asked.

Dick just nodded, not trusting his voice.

“So, how did you come across Tim?” Jason changed the subject.

“Well, it was just one day after the apocalypse,” Dick began, staring off into space. “I was scavenging for food in houses that people had abandoned. I had a pretty big bag of stuff when I heard something. I remember stopping in my tracks and holding my breath, so I could listen.

“A few minutes passed, and I was about to turn and leave when I heard it again. It was a small voice, pleading for help. I followed the voice to a collapsed mansion, and weaved my way through the debris. I called out to him, telling him I was coming. He sounded so relieved.

“I finally found him stuck under bits of ceiling. It appeared that a table had kept him from being crushed. I was able to dig him out after a few minutes. The poor kid was covered in blood and bruises. At first, I thought it was from the earthquake that had happened the day before, but then I noticed a bruise that wrapped around his neck. Seeing that really pissed me off and I asked him where his parents were. He pointed to some rubble a bit away from the table he was trapped under. I knew they were dead the moment I saw them because there was just too much blood. That’s when I decided to take him in. Honestly, I had been lonely anyway, so taking care of a child wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be because I was grateful not to be alone anymore.”

Dick glanced up and saw a look of awe on Jason’s face. “You’re amazing,” he suddenly gushed, his cheeks reddening at his outburst. “I don’t know if I could’ve taken a kid in after all of that. It takes someone special to be able to do something so selfless.”

Dick blushed, shrugging slightly. “I guess,” he whispered, suddenly wincing as a twang of pain shot up his leg. “Jason, I think I will take some pain medication.”

“Really?” Jason’s eyes widened in shock.

Dick nodded, tears reaching his eyes. “Yeah,” he admitted. “My ankles have been killing me and I just can’t handle the pain anymore.”

Jason nodded in understanding. “Let’s go back to the infirmary then,” he said, standing and moving behind the wheelchair. “We can get Alfred to give you some.”

Dick just nodded in reply, closing his eyes as the pain intensified. As he felt Jason wheel him out of the library, he cursed himself for being an idiot.


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian gives Tim a heart to heart conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are going to love this chapter! Hope you enjoy.
> 
> I believe there is one more chapter after this, then the fic will be over. I want to thank you all for the comments, suggestions, and kudos. I really appreciate it.

**Tim’s POV**

When Dick and Jason left the room, Tim reached for his glass of milk and gulped the rest of it down. When he placed the now empty glass back on the bedside table, he noticed that Wally was smirking at him. Tim raised an eyebrow in question. “What?” he asked.

“Oh nothing,” Wally feigned innocence. “Just smiling.”

“That wasn’t a smile,” Tim scoffed. “That was a smirk. What do you know?”

“Nothing,” Wally said again.

Tim rolled his eyes. “Okay then,” he replied sarcastically.

They were silent for a few minutes.

“Damian has really turned into a good guy,” Wally suddenly commented nonchalantly.

Tim blinked at him. “Yes, he has,” he looked at Wally in confusion, wondering where this conversation was going to go.

“I just remember when he first came here with you guys,” Wally started. “He was closed off and insanely overprotective.”

“Yeah,” Tim agreed with a nod. “He was.”

“He’s pretty different now,” Wally continued. “He’s been giving you and Dick more space and he’s opened up to the rest of us. I think that’s great progress.”

“I agree,” Tim smiled.

“I’ve also noticed he’s been looking at you differently,” Wally grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

Tim blinked at him. “Yeah, so?” he questioned.

“Well, maybe he feels differently about you,” Wally was staring at Tim incredulously. “Have you not figured it out yet?”

“Figured what out?” Tim asked, tilting his head.

Wally suddenly threw up his hands. “Oh my God,” he chuckled. “Are you really that dense?”

“Watch it, West,” Damian’s hard voice suddenly echoed in the infirmary. Tim turned to see Damian standing by the stairs, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. “Why are you insulting Timothy?”

“I’m not insulting him,” Wally’s mouth dropped opened comically, glancing between Damian and Tim.

“I suggest you leave before you make a fool of yourself,” Damian huffed, sticking his nose up in the air.

Tim watched Wally sputter. “But…”

“I’ll see you later Wally,” Tim smiled, taking pity on the ginger. “Maybe you can pick a book out for me later.”

Wally turned his red face to Tim. “Sure, okay,” he swallowed, standing up and heading for the stairs. “See you guys later.”

Tim waved, hiding a smile behind his other hand. Wally waved back and went up the stairs.

Once Wally was gone, Damian went over to Tim’s bed and sat down on the chair beside it. “West is a bit comical,” he smiled softly.

“Yeah, he is pretty hilarious,” Tim agreed with a chuckle.

Damian was silent for a bit, seeming to gather some thought together before speaking again. “I wish to admit something to you,” he said, his beautiful green eyes gazing into Tim’s blue ones. “I am just not sure how to tell you.”

“Well, start from the beginning,” Tim smiled, wincing as he shifted slightly.

“Alright,” Damian nodded, taking a deep breath. “I have noticed for the past few months that I have been feeling differently about you. At first, I was not sure what it was I was feeling, but now I am more aware.” He paused, glancing away for a bit before looking back at Tim. “It appears that everyone else knew my feelings before I did. Apparently, I have romantic feelings for you.”

Tim blinked at him in surprise. “What?” he said, watching as Damian shifted nervously.

“I knew my feelings for you were changing when we first arrived here,” Damian sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I did not, however, distinguish what it was. I noticed that my heartrate would increase whenever we made contact with each other. I also noticed that I became more protective of you. I began to feel jealous whenever someone so much as looked at you. When I found out about what Kent was doing to you, I lost all my senses and just attacked him. I knew after that occurred, that I was falling deeply for you. I just was not sure when to tell you. Now, though, I feel it is the proper time.”

Tim was silent for a few seconds. “So, what are you saying?” he asked.

Damian let out an annoyed sigh. “I wish to date you,” he finally admitted.

“Oh,” was all Tim could say.

“Well, what are your thoughts?” Damian asked, his face turning red with embarrassment.

Tim pondered his answer for a minute before replying. “I’ll admit that I’ve been feeling differently about you too lately,” he said with a shy smile. “Now that I think about it, it all makes sense. I guess I have feelings for you too.”

“So, will you date me?” Damian asked, reaching out his hand and laying it palm up on Tim’s bed.

Tim reached over and placed his hand in Damian’s. “Yes,” he smiled, looking up at Damian’s face. “Yes, I’ll date you.”

He watched as a grin spread across Damian’s face. “Excellent,” he sounded happy.

“So, what now?” Tim asked, watching as Damian’s eyes seemed to flick to his lips.

Damian leaned forward and slowly placed his hand on Tim’s right cheek. Tim’s eyes fluttered closed as Damian’s thumb gently rubbed his cheekbone. He let out a content sigh, leaning into the touch. Soon, he felt Dim’s breath ghosting over his lips. Tim’s heart accelerated in excitement.

“May I kiss you?” Damian’s voice was soft, loving.

Tim just nodded, opening his eyes to gaze into Damian’s. Damian stared back for a few seconds before he slowly leaned in. when their lips met, Tim felt sparks. Damian’s lips were a bit chapped, but Tim didn’t care. This was the best kiss he had ever received. He found himself moaning slightly as Damian’s tongue licked at his bottom lip. Before the kiss got deeper, Tim pulled back, sucking in a few breaths.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, closing his eyes.

“It is alright,” Damian’s voice was full of understanding. He rested his forehead against Tim’s. “I got carried away. I do apologize.”

“It’s okay,” Tim replied, still feeling a bit breathless. “Thank you.”

Damian pulled back to look at Tim’s face. “For what?” he asked.

“For being gentle and understanding,” Tim answered, a shy smile reaching his face.

“Of course,” Damian blinked in surprise. “Why would I not be?”

Tim just shrugged. “I don’t know.”

He glanced up as he heard Damian shift again. He flinched slightly at seeing Damian hold out his hand. “I was only going to rest it on your cheek,” Damian replied softly, his eyes filling with concern. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Tim nodded, feeling embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”

“Do not apologize for what you feel,” Damian scolded gently, finally being able to cup Tim’s soft cheek. “You have been through a lot. It is okay to be scared.” 

Tim sucked in a deep breath. “I know,” he whispered. “It’s just frustrating.”

“I can imagine,” Damian replied, voice sympathetic. “But I am here if you need someone to listen, or just be there for you.”

Tim gave Damian a watery smile. “Thank you,” he mumbled, eyes slipping closed again.

Suddenly the elevator doors opened. Tim and Damian flew apart a bit too late judging by the grins on Jason and Dick’s faces. “Hey guys,” Jason grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Did we interrupt something?”

“Do not be absurd,” Damian scoffed.

“Are you guys finally together?” Dick piped up hopefully.

Tim sighed in resignation, reaching out to take Damian’s hand. “Yes,” he smiled shyly.

Dick let out a squeal, practically bouncing in his seat until his face suddenly paled. Tim looked at him in concern. Jason saw his gaze and sighed. “Dick has decided he can’t handle the pain anymore,” he announced, wheeling Dick over to the medicine cabinet. “Alfred said it was okay to give him some pain meds.”

“Finally, you have come to your senses,” Damian huffed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dick frowned, a sweat breaking out over his face.

“Dick, is it really that painful?” Tim frowned, for his pain had been subsiding.

“Yes,” Dick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ve been avoiding the meds for too long I guess.”

“That is an understatement,” Damian rolled his eyes.

“Alright, I get it,” Dick snapped, eyes blazing into Damian. “I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Good,” Damian deadpanned, turning his gaze to Tim.

Tim blushed. “What?” he asked.

“Are you in any pain?” he asked, tilting his head.

“Not really,” Tim smiled reassuringly. “Unlike Dick, I’ve been taking the meds prescribed to me.”

Tim grinned upon hearing Dick’s huff behind him.

“Alright, let’s not gang up on the injured,” Jason scolded as he gave Dick a pill and a glass of water.

“Sorry Dick,” Tim frowned, noting how faint he looked.

Dick gave him a small smile. “It’s okay,” he mumbled, popping the pill in his mouth and swallowing. “I know you guys are just teasing.”

“Somewhat,” was Damian’s reply. Tim turned to glare at him. He sighed. “I apologize Richard.”

“It’s fine,” Dick replied softly.

Tim turned back to see Jason wheeling Dick to a bed next to Tim’s. Tim smiled a bit happily at seeing that Dick was staying in the infirmary with him again. Sometimes, he got lonely at night, even with Damian sleeping in a chair next to him. He usually didn’t wake Damian for he needed his sleep.

“Okay, are you ready?” Jason asked with a frown, gazing at Dick.

Dick just nodded, tensing up. Jason locked the wheels of the wheelchair and carefully placed his arms under Dick. Dick let out a soft whimper as Jason picked him up. Tim watched with concern as Dick gripped onto Jason’s shirt tightly. Jason eased Dick into the bed, but one of Dick’s feet hit the bed wrong, causing him to yelp. “I’m sorry,” Jason gasped, easing back to check on Dick. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Fine, it’s fine,” Dick said through clenched teeth. “The meds should be kicking in soon.”

Jason just nodded, carefully propping up Dick’s feet with pillows and easing the covers over him. He then kissed Dick’s temple, Tim smiling as Dick sighed contently. “You’ll be getting sleepy soon,” he warned as Dick shifted a bit.

Dick turned to him with a small smile. “Yeah, I know,” he said. “But I also know that I’m safe.” He then gazed up at Jason lovingly.

Tim felt his heart warm at seeing their loving gazes for each other. As Dick drifted of to sleep, Tim hoped that one day he and Damian would have a relationship like Jason and Dick.


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian tries to help Tim open up to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter everyone. I want to thank you all for reading and leaving comments and kudos.
> 
> A big shout out to Chocolatelover 94 for leaving me comments for each chapter I posted. I really appreciate it!
> 
> And thanks again to everyone else who left comments, kudos, and suggestions.

**Damian’s POV**

A few months had passed since Richard and Timothy were rescued. They both seemed to be healing well physically, but mentally was another story. According to Todd, Richard was having nightmares constantly, causing Damian to worry. If Richard did not get his sleep, he would begin to hallucinate. Richard’s lack of sleep seemed to do things to his brain, ever since he had been a victim of Scarecrow’s fear toxin.

Some nights, Richard would sleep with Timothy and Damian in Damian’s room.  Damian would have his brothers take his bed and he would take the couch that was in his room. Most nights, however, Richard would sleep with Todd. Damian guessed that Todd made him feel safe and loved. Even though Timothy and Damian made him feel the same, sometimes Richard would seem to latch onto Todd. Todd believed that was due to his guilt of what happened to Timothy while they were captured.

Timothy didn’t talk much about what happened, and neither did Richard. At least, they didn’t talk to Damian about it. To Damian, it seemed that Todd knew more about it than he did. Damian guessed his brothers feared that he would go on a rampage if they told him what happened. That was somewhat true, but Damian was getting better at handling his emotions. Hell, he was even getting along better with Connor Kent, who had abused Timothy in December last year.

It was March now and time for the snow to melt. Damian was ready for it to for he was tired of having to wear metal boots to go to the barn and see Bat-Cow. Yes, Bat-Cow had ben rescued along with a few of Bruce’s other livestock. Damian was glad that Bat-Cow had been safe in a small shed next to Joker’s hideout. He as well as a few other soldiers had gone back to the location after getting Richard and Timothy home safe. They had searched the ground for more boys that Joker may have taken as slaves. They had not found any more boys, but they did come across the livestock.

Now that Joker was dead and Scarecrow in Arkham, Bruce had control of their land. So, Gotham expanded. The town had been growing recently anyway and was in need to spread out. Most of the townspeople were grateful for what Bruce and his soldiers had done with Joker and Scarecrow. Some of the more twisted people, however, were angry, often throwing riots about the Joker being killed. Usually, those people were violent anyway, so Bruce would deal with them personally. A few of those men were even once rapists and murderers themselves. Damian was glad when some of them appeared injured a few days later.

As for Todd and Richard, well, they seemed to be going strong. Todd would often take Richard to the newly repaired greenhouse to help Richard come over his fear and begin to love the area again. Ever since he and Timothy had been captured by the Joker and Scarecrow, Richard had been afraid of the greenhouse. Damian could tell that Richard was frustrated by it because he used to love the greenhouse. Damian was thankful for Todd taking good care of his brother. Damian believed that Todd was the prefect man for Richard.

Meanwhile Damian and Timothy were struggling slightly. Timothy was having a hard time opening up to Damian. He seemed to open up one day then close off the next. Damian was getting whiplash from his behavior, but was doing his best to be patient. After all, Damian could only guess at what it was like being under the Joker and Scarecrow’s control. If Timothy would not open up, then Damian may never know.

Damian sighed as he looked around for Timothy. Now that Timothy didn’t have to stay in the infirmary anymore, he would often wander off by himself. Usually, Damian would find him in the library. Today, however, the library was empty. Damian frowned, deciding to find Todd and asking him. Timothy seemed to confide in Todd sometimes.

“Todd,” Damian spoke up when he saw Todd in the kitchen with Alfred.

Todd looked up from cutting some carrots. “Yes?” he asked.

“Have you seen Timothy?” he asked, coming to stand beside Alfred.

“Yeah, I think he went to the barn,” Todd replied, turning back to his vegetables.

“Alone?” Damian asked worriedly.

“Nah,” Todd shook his head. “Dick and Wally are with him.”

Damian breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he muttered, turning to leave.

“Just a heads up,” Todd piped up, causing Damian to pause. “He’s having one of his bad days. That’s why Dick and Wally took him to the barn to see the animals.

“Alright,” Damian nodded. “Thank you for the warning.”

“You’re welcome,” Todd replied.

Damian then left and headed for the barn. He was a bit surprised that Richard would be out at the barn as well, seeing that his wheelchair would not move well in the melting snow. Damian grabbed a coat and stuffed his feet into a pair of metal boots before heading outside. The air was still crisp, but the snow was melting, which relieved Damian. He was growing tired of the snow.

As he neared the barn, he could hear Richard’s laughter. A smile crept up onto Damian’s face at the sound. Everyone agreed that Richard’s smile and laugh were contagious.

“And then I tripped and fell,” West was saying as Damian entered the barn.

Richard was laughing like a mad man while Timothy was smiling. “That’s hilarious,” Richard giggled, clutching his sides.

West merely grinned. “Yep, story of my life,” he chuckled.

“Damian,” Timothy saw him first, giving him a soft smile. “Hey.”

“Hello,” Damian smiled back, making a beeline for Timothy. “How are you today?”

Timothy’s smile fell. “I’m alright,” he shrugged.

“Liar,” Richard pointed an accusing finger at Timothy.

Timothy glared at him. “Shut up,” he snapped.

Richard’s face fell. “Tim, it’s okay,” he soothed, struggling to wheel his chair over. Wally helped him by pushing it to Timothy’s side. Richard reached out a hand slowly. “You can’t help the way you feel.”

“Doesn’t mean everyone and their mother has to know,” Timothy crossed his arms and moved away from Richard’s touch.

“Timothy, you mind walking to the library with me?” Damian suddenly asked. “I would like to pick out a book, only I do not know what I would like.”

Timothy’s eyes narrowed. “You just want to get me alone, so we can talk,” he accused. “I don’t need to talk to anyone. I’m _fine_.”

Damian shrugged. “I guess I shall have to look at every book myself,” he faked a sigh. “That will take most of my day.”

He glanced up to see Timothy’s face twist in uncertainty. “Fine,” he finally sighed. “I’ll come with you.”

“Thank you,” Damian smiled kindly.

Timothy used his crutch to hobble over to Damian. He then turned to West and Richard. “I’ll see you guys later,” he mumbled.

“Sure,” West waved at him.

“Okay, Tim,” Richard nodded, a sad smile on his face.

Damian followed behind Timothy as they left the barn. He wanted to make sure that Timothy could move through the snow okay. Though there were only a couple inches on the ground, Damian knew it would be tough to maneuver around in crutches. It was slow going, but Damian was patient, like he always was, with Timothy.

“What books are you interested in?” Timothy asked as Damian opened one of the large French doors to go inside.

“Anything that has to do with art,” Damian replied. “Maybe something that has the histories of different artists.”

“Hmm, okay,” Timothy nodded, heading toward the elevator. “I know of a few that might interest you.”

“Thank you,” Damian smiled a bit to himself, pressing the elevator button.

“No problem,” Timothy replied.

They were silent for a few seconds, waiting for the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, Damian let Timothy enter first before following. Once the doors were closed, he spoke. “Todd said you are having a rough day today,” he tried to speak nonchalantly.

Timothy heaved an annoyed sigh. “I don’t need to talk about it,” he snapped, turning to glare at Damian.

“Very well,” Damian rolled his eyes.

“What’s with the attitude? Timothy asked, his face turning red with anger.

“Nothing,” Damian said. “I just wonder why you will talk to everyone else except me.”

Timothy was silent for a few moments. “Because I know how you’ll react,” he mumbled, putting his head down to stare at the carpet.

“And how is that?” Damian asked, an eyebrow raised.

Timothy sighed. “You’ll think I’m damaged,” he whispered.

As Damian was about to reply, the elevator doors opened. Timothy pushed his way out and began to head for the library. Damian jogged to keep up, resting a hand on Timothy’s shoulder. Timothy flinched, his breathing picking up.

“Timothy, I will not harm you,” Damian made sure his voice was soft and understanding. “If we are to be together romantically, we should not keep things from each other.” He paused, watching as tears filled Timothy’s beautiful blue eyes. “I will not force you, but sometimes talking about things to someone you love will help you heal.”

“I’m broken,” Timothy inhaled shakily, ducking his head. “I was broken before Dick found me all those years ago. He helped me heal, but now I’m broken again.”

“Broken things can be fixed,” Damian squeezed Timothy’s shoulder gently. “I do not believe you are damaged. If you are, that does not change what I feel or think about you.” Damian placed a finger under Timothy’s chin and lifted his face so they were eye to eye. “You are perfect to me, no matter what you or anyone else thinks. I love you for who you are, broken or not. Please, allow me to help you.”

Timothy inhaled shakily, nodding his head. “Okay,” he whispered.

Damian smiled, leaning in slowly so Timothy could guess his motives. Timothy’s beautiful lips parted, and he began to meet him halfway. As they kissed, Damian felt Timothy’s body relax. They kissed for a bit until Timothy pulled back, a small smile tugging his lips.

“I love you,” he whispered as they rested their foreheads together. “Thank you for being patient with me. I’m sorry I’m such a handful.”

“You are not a handful,” Damian shook his head lightly. “And I would do anything for you. I love you too.”

Timothy closed his eyes and let out a sigh before pulling back. “You still interested in a book?”

Damian smiled. “Yes,” he replied.

“I know just the one,” Timothy smiled back before hobbling toward the library again.

As Damian followed after him, he began to think. He knew that Timothy and Richard had a long road ahead of them, but things seemed to be gradually getting better. Timothy was beginning to trust Damian, and that was all Damian ever wanted. He knew Timothy needed to trust people in order to heal, and this was just one step closer to recovery. It was a long road ahead, but with the right people, Timothy and Richard would make it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure when I'll have the sequel posted. Since it's close to Christmas, I'll be busy preparing and being with family. The sequel will be called Pale Sun, so be on the lookout :)


End file.
